The South African Development Community (SADC) in partnership with South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), and the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) hosted the South Africa SADC Water Week which took place from 29-31 July 2015.
The Executive Secretary during his stay in Dakar met with the new chair of the Senegal CWP, Mr. Antoine Diokel THIAW and cangratulated him for his designation as chair. They had discussions on the future actions of the CWP. The Steering and Scientific Committees are yet to be established and an invitation will be sent to partners for a meeting to establish these bodies. Project templates will be developed in order to link with on going initiatives in the country and allow the CWP’s functioning.
Given the importance of WRCC in coordinating water resource management in West Africa in particular and that of ECOWAS generally politically and economically, and because of the many joint initiatives underway, GWP / WA met with the Director of WRCC, Ibrahim Babatunde WILSON. The GWP delegation led by its Chair, Prof. Afouda, included the Executive Secretary and the Mekrou and IDMP projects officers.
The two organizations raised a number of initiatives underway at GWP / WA of which WRCC is an integral part, including the Mekrou project, IDMP, or those in which the WRCC should take the lead like the initiative on the regional dialogue on the joint management of shared aquifers in West Africa.
Tanzania is facing increasing pressures on its water resources due to a growing agricultural sector and the effects of climate change. In order to ensure environmental and economic sustainability in the face of water scarcity the local communities of Kiroka village, Morogoro, conceived a project to build capacity for climate adaptation through sustainable land and water management. The participatory approach coupled with capacity building and holistic problem solving that also addresses livelihood issues has proven to be an effective method of implementing an IWRM plan that is sustainable and can be readily subscribed to.
A series of activities called The Great Walk for Water initiated by some NGOs will be held from 22 February to 22 March 2015 to draw the World attention on the future "disappearance" of Lake Chad, if nothing is done. This great walk for water is a media caravan, actions and multidisciplinary activities to advocate for an increased attention on the situation of National and International Watercourses in Africa in general and especially the Lake Chad.
A WACDEP Burkina team met on August 19 the AEN team to discuss a kick off project for the involvement of the CWP in the Master plan. The mission aimed also at starting anew the consultations for the development of bancable projects in the basin.
According the WACDEP manager the CWP support will focus on water resources and climate change. And in this context the CWP has already supported the AEN in the development of the Massili local water committee (CLE Massili), in the development of the SDAGE and bankable projects that address new issues.
The Expert Task Force of the joint GWP/OECD Global Dialogue project met in Paris in November to evaluate their work on the economics of water security. The report will be finalized in the coming months, before the official version is presented at the World Water Forum in South Korea in April 2015.
The WACDEP regional programme officer took part in the review and validation workshop of Volume 1 or updated status inventory report within the development process of the Master Plan for the Development Scheme and Water Management (SDAGE) of the Nakanbé Management area. The workshop organized by the Directorate General for Nakanbé Water Agency (DG-EAN) brought together members of the multisectoral monitoring committee Monday, November 24, 2014 at Nomgana, 20km from Ouagadougou.
Interview with Ms. Kasiet A. Musabaeva, President of the NGO "Aiymzat Bulagy" in the Kyrgyz Republic.
On December 2-3, 2015, GWP China Hebei organized the “Forum on Water Resources Optimization” in Langfang, Hebei Provinces. It was jointly organized by GWP China Hebei, GWP China, Hebei Provincial Department of Water Resources and Hebei Provincial Association of Elder Scientists.