West Africa has ten aquifers and some countries have no other alternative water resources than groundwater.
Continuing a process launched in 2006, GWP Mediterranean organised four regional workshops during 2011 aimed at enriching knowledge, enhancing experience-sharing and strengthening capacity building on issues relating to transboundary water resources management in south-eastern Europe.
At the request of the countries, a mission from GWP West Africa visited Gambia and Sierra Leone 19-28 September 2011, to follow up on the will expressed in 2009, during the development process of the IWRM roadmap, to set up GWP Country Water Partnerships. Exchanges on the importance of transboundary waters and their management mechanisms such as the UN Convention on International Water Courses were also discussed.
GWP knowledge and expertise was shared with an IUCN-Asia delegation that visited the Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat in Entebbe, Uganda, on 12 September 2011. GWP Eastern Africa presented its work on IWRM processes.
The Khimti 1 Hydropower Project was initiated to increase hydropower supply in Nepal. Action was taken to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment to identify promotion of livelihood, economic enhancement and social well being of the project area communities. The project formulated an Environmental Monitoring Plan as well as environmental mitigation and monitoring programme. The key lesson to learn is the importance of assessment prior to the development of any project.
Climate change is expected to severely affect water resources in the low-lying part of the Netherlands. It was decided to take an integrated approach and a process was set up in which all parties claiming space in the area were invited to discuss the water issues. The key insight from this case is the additional water needs can be integrated in the spatial planning through an open planning process.
