The management of water resources in Bangladesh involves a centralised, heavy engineering approach in order to control floods and install irrigation, however, there is now a pressing need for ensuring social justice and equity in water resource development. Recognising the role of water in poverty alleviation, action has been taken to implement a 25-year National Water Management Plan. Although this is one important step, it is evident that many issues require more work.
Social equity is the least understood of the 3 E’s (equity, economic efficiency and environmental sustainability) in the concept of integrated water resources management. This new Global Water Partnership Technical Committee Background Paper No. 15, “Social Equity and Integrated Water Resources Management”, sets out an overarching framework for the analysis of equity in the context of water development and management. It is intended as an aid to decision makers in designing policies, interventions, and programs aimed at the equitable distribution of benefits from water resources.
Unclear ownership and no formal mechanism to manage the water source of the Mvutjini earth dam have caused unfavourable conditions for the local community. Action was taken to implement IWRM by the Swaziland Country Water Partnership, aiming to revitalise the dam and set up management rules by involving local stakeholders. This case study illustrates that collaboration and partnership between institutions involved in water resources management is vital for success.
GWP Caribbean (GWP-C) and GWP Mediterranean (GWP Med) are building awareness on the importance of water conservation by implementing rainwater harvesting techniques. With islands surrounded by salt water, the rainwater harvesting model is critical for access to fresh water in both regions.
A multi-stakeholders' consultation on “Issues of governance in the water sector” was organized recently by the India Water Partnership (Global Water Partnership - India) in association with Transparency International India (TII) on June 18 at New Delhi.
One of the prerequisites to successful water resources management plans is the need for them to be gender sensitive. This point was emphasized at the Rio+20 Side Event: “Dublin Rio Principles: Where do we stand, what lessons learned “ on 18 June 2012, with Hon Rejoice Mabudafhasi, Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, South Africa and Chair of the Network of Women Ministers and Leaders for the Environment, as Chair of the panel.
Call for Nominations and Applications
The GWP seeks an outstanding and internationally recognized leader to serve as its Chair, guiding the global Network of water partners, and heading the GWP Organization. Given the scale of water-related challenges across the globe, the Chair has a unique opportunity to lead the GWP at an important time, as action now is essential for a water secure world.
The water sector in South Africa is dynamic and facing major challenges such as reduction in capacity of the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) to engage as extensively with stakeholders. As a result of a weak partnership base, it has been difficult to ensure the implementation of equitable and sustainable IWRM. Although a South African Country Water Partnership (SA CWP) was launched in 2002, and was active in early GWP activities such as the Framework for Action (FFA) over the years the sense of purpose for a partnership among water actors diminished as the water sector changed it’s strategic dimensions. One of the challenges that the SA CWP of the Global Water Partnership faced was defining exactly what its role in South Africa would be and how it would partner with other Water sector stakeholders to ensure that it executes its tasks and achieves success.
A successful Capacity Building Workshop on “Flood Management in a Transboundary Context” was organized on the 13th and 14th of December in Zagreb, Croatia, under the Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process by the Global Water Partnership- Mediterranean (GWP-Med) with the support of the German Ministry of Environment and GEF IWLEARN.