Toward water security and climate resilience
To raise awareness on sustainable water management in the Caribbean, and to commemorate the United Nations’ World Water Day (WWD) 2012 which is celebrated on March 22nd each year, GWP-C has established its first Media Awards on Water. The Awards aim to inspire Caribbean journalists to report more on regional water issues.
The idea of a Regional Climate Outlook Forum (RCOF) originated out of a workshop entitled “Reducing Climate-related Vulnerability” held in Southern Africa in October 1996. Almost a year later, towards the end of 1997, the first RCOF was held in Zimbabwe in Southern Africa where the idea was birthed.
On 25 April, GWP Rwanda took a first step to implement the Water Resources Management (WRM) Strategy of Rwanda by holding a workshop, jointly organized with the Netherlands Development Organization under the theme: "Towards IWRM through collaboration and partnerships between all actors at all levels".
GWP is responding to the climate change challenge through the Global Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) which includes a portfolio of programmes and projects aiming to build climate resilience through better water management. The WACDEP programmes and projects are developed by GWP Regional Water Partnerships in collaboration with relevant governments and regional economic development communities:
In 2011, GWP Central America published an updated version of the Status of Water Resources in Central America, a compilation of data on water resources in Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. This publication presents advances and challenges in water resources management at country and regional level.
The acting Chair of the Regional Steering Committee for Global Water Partnership Eastern Africa, Prof Munguti Katua, told 15 delegates from Country Water Partnerships that GWP’s vision—‘a water secure world is achievable, if the present momentum is kept.”
To inspire Caribbean journalists to report more on water, GWP Caribbean launched its first annual Media Awards on Water on 5 March 2012. The winner is Mr. Shane Hubbard, an Editor and Videographer from CNS TV6 in Guyana who produced a television piece under the theme “Water and Food Security”.
GWP has joined the Sanitation and Water for All initiative as a Multilateral Partner, together with other GWP Partner organizations. Sanitation and Water for All aims to address the barriers to achieving universal and sustainable sanitation and drinking water for everyone, including poor water resources management.
Water, the vital source of life, is a cross-cutting resource, water an essential component in building sustainable energy, food and health systems – sustainable livelihoods; yet water lacks recognition among the development sectors and policy makers; it is impossible to reach our vision of a water secure world if we continue to manage water in the future the same way as we do today; we need to stop the fragmentation of its management we need to act now for water for the future: these were some of the points raised at the roundtable the Global Water Partnership organised together with Stockholm International Water Institute at the Swedish Government Stockholm+40 conference on 23-25 April 2012.