Water quality is a major issue in Sri Lanka. Pollution and waste dumping contaminate water supplies, leading to serious health impacts for nearby water users. In one of the country’s most serious cases of water pollution, 300,000 people in Gampula were at risk when an epidemic of viral hepatitis broke out; several people died. But GWP Sri Lanka has achieved some results. (In photo: GWP Sri Lanka Chair Kusum Athukorala)
Water quality is a major issue in Sri Lanka. Pollution and waste dumping contaminate water supplies, leading to serious health impacts for nearby water users. In one of the country’s most serious cases of water pollution, 300,000 people in Gampula were at risk when an epidemic of viral hepatitis broke out; several people died. But GWP Sri Lanka has achieved some results. (In photo: GWP Sri Lanka Chair Kusum Athukorala)
June 14, 2011 — Yesterday a coalition of water advocates organized a side event at a United Nations climate conference to highlight the urgency of recognizing water resources management as central to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Recognised as the most appropriate platform in the region, GWP Central Asia and Caucasus (CACENA) was asked by the Uzbek Ministry of Agriculture and Water to co-organize an international conference in Tashkent as part of the process leading up to the 6th World Water Forum in 2012. GWP CACENA also led a session on integrated water resources management.
GWP Mediterranean, as the Secretariat of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI), has since since 2005 supported the efforts of the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water towards an Integrated Water Management Planning in the country. Through technical assistance by the MED EUWI and GWP Mediterranean, the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) aims to put in place a decision support system to examine alternative water development and management strategies to support IWRM Planning.
GWP Hungary and GWP Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) organized a knowledge-sharing workshop on “Water Resources Management Aspects of European Union Strategies for Baltic Sea and Danube Basin Regions” on April 5, 2011 in Budapest, Hungary. The focus was on sharing experiences and expertise from the implementation of the Baltic Sea Strategy. During the workshop, experts identified similarities and differences concerning water management issues and discussed implementation mechanisms and institutional roles such as selection of projects and partnerships in the Danube Region.
Participants at the Fourth Yangtze River Forum April 18-19, 2011 in Nanjing discussed the development, management and protection of the Yangtze River. The theme of the Forum, “Yangtze River and regional development”, was jointly initiated by GWP China and organizations.
On May 19, 2010, Mr. Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China, met with the GWP Steering Committee members at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and had a dinner together later. Some other senior leaders of the Ministry of Water Resources, the leader of GWP China’s host institute together with Mr. Wang Shucheng, Chair of GWP China, Dr. Dong Zheren, Standing vice Chair of GWP China, Prof. Wang Hao, Vice Chair of GWP China and Mr. Zheng Rugang, Coordinator of GWP China also joined.
Building resilience through improved water management to better prepare for the impact of climate change is the best short-term strategy to combat the effects of climate change on water-related sectors of the national economy.