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GWP Eastern Africa produces a quarterly newsletter, The Water Digest whose aim is communicating to our stakeholders about a series of activities geared towards a water secure and climate resilient region. 

At a time of increasing water demand and the prospect of climate change, the problem of water scarcity in the Mediterranean region and in particular the Greek islands deepens and becomes more critical. Hence, there is an urgent need to enhance water efficiency and to explore further alternatives to ensure water availability using innovative approaches. The revival of traditional water harvesting and management techniques, which have been overlooked in favour of modern technologies, sometimes less sustainable, appears to be one of the most promising alternatives for supplying freshwater in the face of increasing water scarcity and escalating demand.

It is often said that the current water crisis is mainly a crisis of governance, much more than a crisis of water shortage or water pollution per se. In the context of IWRM, governance is defined as the range of political, social, economic and administrative institutions that are in place (or need to be in place) to develop and manage water resources in sustainable manners. This section identifies four institutional roles that must be fulfilled for water governance systems to achieve sound IWRM practices: B1 – Regulation and Enforcement; B2 – Water Supply and Sanitation Services; B3 – Coordination and Facilitation; and B4 – Capacity Building.

Technical Focus Papers on Water Resources Management are publications of the GWP Technical Committee aimed at harnessing and sharing knowledge and experiences generated by Knowledge Partners and Country Water Partnerships through the GWP Knowledge Chain.

Hebei has only met water demand through overdraft of deep groundwater, resulting in the formation of a groundwater overdraft depression. This issue is further exacerbated by saline water intrusion into the groundwater tables. The water administrative department has taken measures accounting for IWRM principles, for example by establishing the Water Users Association to encourage participatory management. The lesson learnt is the value of a participatory approach in management.

New case study on GWP ToolBox presents results of Safe Sanitation, Health and Dignity Project in Romania.

A drought monitoring system is being developed in South Asia, in a collaboration between GWP and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). A first Assessment Report has been released by GWP South Asia and the GWP-WMO Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP).

Mining is an important industry in West Africa. It contributes to economic and social development, but it also disrupts the natural and human balance, raising questions about the risk it poses to communities living near mining sites.

In the River Basin District of the CEE region, the countries are cooperating to develop transboundary management, using the International River Basin Commission as a platform. The aim is to address national IWRM priorities, strengthen cooperation with major stakeholders and initiate changes in policies and legislation. This case illustrates the difficulties to balance national priorities in a transboundary context.