The Upper Mur River is considered as one of the most ecologically valuable rivers of Austria due to the natural reproduction for the Danube salmon. The systematic regulation of the river began at the end of the 19th century, distributaries were cut off and large areas were drained in order to intensify agricultural land use. Restoration measures started in 1997 in the area of the Upper Mur and the “Grenzmur”. Various projects facilitated the renaturation of more than 22 km both in the upper course and the Slovenian border section of the river. A policy issue highlighted by the project is the importance to reconcile key needs for nature conservation with demands for renewable energy generation from small hydro power plants.
The beauty and wilderness of Danube floodplains was continuously deteriorated by human impacts. Construction of the Gabcikovo water dam caused direct clearance of minimum 2,500 ha of floodplain forests and influence of water regime of other areas. A regional NGO BROZ located in Slovakia, has developed a project for EU funding scheme LIFE. The project aims to preserve last remaining natural floodplain forests in Slovak part of the Danube floodplain and to introduce sound, sustainable forest management in the area. As a result, a Sustainable Forest Management Strategy has been elaborated to give a base for new forest management plans.
On the occasion of National Consultation Dialogues in Romania and Lithuania, today Global Water Partnership Central and Eastern Europe releases a video about the Integrated Drought Management Programme in Central and Eastern Europe.
The 20th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 20) is held from 1 to 12 December in Lima, Peru. Representatives from GWP are present.
On November 19, 2014, Dr. Zhong Lijing from the WRI China visited GWP China Secretariat to discuss the possibility of developing salon series under theme of water dialogue in coming years.
GWP Armenia organised a workshop to identify alternative technologies for urban wastewater treatment in Armenia. The workshop, held in Aghveran on 16-17 October 2014, also looked at the legal, institutional and financial obstacles.
GWP Central America, with the support of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, organised the VIII Legislators Conference on Water Resources, which took place on October 28, 2014, in San Salvador.
Preceded by a series of regional workshops in Africa, Latin America, South-East Asia and Central Asia organized by IUCN and IWA since 2012, the Symposium on Infrastructure Solutions in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus was taken place at the Beijing Friendship Hotel, starting on Thursday 13 November and ending on Saturday 15 November, 2014, in Beijing. GWP China was formally invited to be the co-sponsor of the symposium jointly with IUCN and IWA .