As part of the implementation of the pilot initiatives of the Water Development and Management Plan (SAGE) of the Niger portion of Mékrou, the Mekrou phase 2 Niger project financed by the European Union has rehabilitated the Belandè multi-village mini drinking water supply system with an extension of the standpipes.
Four SADC Oceanic States of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles are collaborating to develop a Water, Energy, Food & Ecosystem (WEFE) Security Nexus Regional Programme that promotes a multi-sector approach in ensuring natural resource use efficiency, whilst achieving water, energy, and food security.
From 19th to 22nd September 2023, the 4th General Assembly meeting took place, hosted by the University of Milan. This gathering was set in the vicinity of Iseo Lake in the charming Italian town of Iseo. It brought together 60 representatives from the project consortium, offering them a platform to discuss the progress of their work.
The populations of the Volta Basin are vulnerable to the risks of floods and droughts, which cause a lot of damage every year. In response to the annual threats and to enable countries to have the technical capacity to cope, the Volta Flood and Drought Management (VFDM) project entitled ''Integrating Flood and Drought Management and Early Warning for Climate Change Adaptation in the Volta Basin'' has set up a training programme from June 2019 to mid-2024.
Approximately 150 households within the Mt Granby and Mt Nesbit communities in St. John’s, are poised to benefit from enhanced access to water, following the commissioning of a refurbished Community Water System. This initiative marks a significant milestone for the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean and the organisation's ongoing efforts to ensure a water secure Caribbean. Water scarcity has long been a pressing issue in these two communities, because of the old leaky pipes which resulted in increased abstraction of water from the source and reduction in the flow of water into the stream it feeds. This has impacted daily life and economic activities including agriculture, health, and overall quality of life of community members.
The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) approach is gaining increasing recognition, particularly for its importance in managing drought risks. At the grassroots level, various WEFE-based solutions have emerged, including agro-photovoltaics, biogas production, small-scale water conservation efforts, and solar desalination. The multiple co-benefits of the WEFE Nexus have led to its adoption in national policies across countries like Egypt, Italy, Spain, and Tunisia, while also gaining traction from the European Union and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
As a leading authority on water governance, GWP continued to put water at the centre of development at the UN 2023 Water Conference by participating in and leading over 30 events, committing pledges to the Water Action Agenda, and launching a sourcebook on managing multistakeholder partnerships to improve the global management of water resources. But, despite the best efforts of the delegates, was this conference the watershed moment promised?
