21-22 July 2008, Athens Greece
The 5th Conference of the Water Directors of the Euro-Mediterranean and South-Eastern European Countries took place in Athens, 21-22 July 2008.
GWP Slovakia, GWP Hungary and GWP Ukraine worked with municipalities, river basin organisations, NGOs, farmers and urban planning authorities to develop a workable partnership to manage flood risks in the transboundary Bodrog River Basin.
In 2009 the Uva Provincial Council and National Water Supply and Drainage Board sought help from GWP Sri Lanka to set up a provincial water resources committee. This request was prompted by a new government policy recommending that provincial water resources committees should be set up to manage drinking water at river basin scale.
GWP Laos, established in 2003, passed an important milestone in 2010 when it became an accredited Country Water Partnership.
In Benin, four years of lobbying and workshops culminated in the adoption by the Government, in July 2009, of a new water policy based on the IWRM approach. GWP Benin led efforts, working with parliamentarians, ministries, civil society, local communities and water user organisations, and establishing a task force. GWP Benin also arranged for consultants to review the first draft of the policy and organised a national workshop to validate the final draft.
GWP Mediterranean, as the Secretariat of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI), has since since 2005 supported the efforts of the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water towards an Integrated Water Management Planning in the country. Through technical assistance by the MED EUWI and GWP Mediterranean, the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) aims to put in place a decision support system to examine alternative water development and management strategies to support IWRM Planning.
In 2009 the Uva Provincial Council and National Water Supply and Drainage Board sought help from GWP Sri Lanka to set up a provincial water resources committee. This request was prompted by a new government policy recommending that provincial water resources committees should be set up to manage drinking water at river basin scale.
Since 2007, GWP and the EU Water Initiative Finance Working Group (EUWI-FWG) have worked together to organise workshops across the world to raise awareness and build capacity on financing for water and sanitation.
Comments from GWP Chair, and our allies, in a Circle of Blue Circle story from Cancun, COP16.
As the 16th meeting of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change enters its second week in Cancun, Mexico, some advocates feel that water is getting more attention–though perhaps not yet from negotiators–than it did last year.
Johan Holmberg will be stepping down as Chair of the EUWI Finance Working Group after three busy and intensive years which have seen the FWG creating a strong niche in promoting a more strategic approach to water sector financing. Alan Hall has been appointed to take over as Chair from 1 December 2009.