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.
GWPO has helped GWP-WAf secretariat to get an alternative power source based on solar energy technology to supplement it needs in Energy. The secretariat is based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso where power cuts are very frequent during the hottest period of the year, from March to June every year .
In order to support the Municipal Association of Users of natural resources of the Niger Basin of Péhunco (ACU-Péhunco) to implement a micro-project for the mobilization and the integrated management of resources of the Beket reservoir, the community of Beket in the town of Péhunco received a 10-day training session in September 2015 on the construction and use of economic Wanrou stoves. Indeed, this micro-project is in line with the "Shared Vision for the preservation of the Niger Basin ecosystem for its sustainable development" and the "promotion of IWRM in the national portion of Niger Basin" of the WASH-Benin Program.
The International Water Centre (IWC) is currently offering up to three full scholarships for qualified international candidates interested in studying the Master of Integrated Water Management (MIWM) commencing in February 2017 at The University of Queensland.
Following the information day on the Francophone youth for water project in Korea on April 13, 2015 and the orientation day in Cotonou on May 8, actions are continuing with the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW). Each of the youth developed roadmap activities to be undertaken for the implementation of this "Francophone Youth for Water" initiative at country level.
GWPSA is delighted to observe IWD this year under the theme “Pledge for Parity” by highlighting the achievements of some of the women in the network that have put gender parity on their agendas.
Water resources, in particular conventional rural water supply systems/sources are among the first to be impacted by climate variability. Accessibility to portable water in the sudano-sahelian part of Cameroon is a course for concern given that the population relies mainly on springs, wells and boreholes for the supply of potable water in rural areas.
Madagascar held its SADC Water Week on the 3rd, 4th and 5th June at the Ivato Conference Centre in Antananarivo. This event was held in high esteem given the present context in Madagascar. In fact, it has just been about 17 months since Madagascar was welcomed back in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). On Wednesday the 3rd, a joint session was held for media experts and the youth to provide them with some relevant background information on this SADC initiative. The meeting brought together youth from the water sector and beyond, as well as media experts from various ministries, some NGOs, civil societies and academic institutions.