GWPSA participated in the 24th Water Resources Committee (WRTC) meeting held on 7-8 May in Lusaka, Zambia. The WRTC delegates comprise directors of water departments in SADC member states and SADC implementing and co-financing agencies of the RSAP 3. GWPSA was present as an implementing partner of the Regional Water Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Mr. Andrew Takawira, GWPSA Senior Programmes Manager, participated in the meeting and gave a presentation on GWPSAs upcoming activities in support of the RSAP 3, with specific mention to supporting Climate Change Adaptation in the Sector.
The Global Water Partnership (GWP) has sponsorship available for eligible participants to complete the online course in Integrated and Adaptive Water Resources Planning, Management and Governance offered by McGill University’s Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The Cuero River area is particularly susceptible to floods, making the communities living in the surrounding area vulnerable. This area was consequently chosen for implementation of an Early Warning System Project. Action was taken in three separate phases in three different areas. From the experience, the lesson learnt is that more effort should be devoted to training of a leader group that can promote and consolidate the system’s self-sufficiency.
GWP Chair Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss gave the introductory keynote to the Second Mekong River Commission Summit and International Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 2 April. She presented some key elements related to the Post-2015 Development Agenda, stressing the need for a dedicated water goal in an ever-changing world.
The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change (IPCC) states in its summary for policy makers that integrated water resources management (IWRM) is a key part of adaptation experiences in several regions. “This shows that GWP’s and its partners’ advocacy efforts to explain how IWRM is the way forward for building water security and climate resilience are bearing fruit,” says GWP Executive Secretary Dr. Ania Grobicki.
Kenya organized the national consultations on water for the post-2015 development agenda at the Kenya Institute of Water in Nairobi on 14 March 2014. More than 30 participants from cross sectoral organizations attended the meeting, which was supported by GWP Eastern Africa.
Communicatorsfrom the GWP regional offices are undergoing 4 days training in designing communication and knowledge management strategies in Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava from 9-13th December 2013.
With active participation through a wide range of events, GWP advocated for a higher profile of water in the global climate change policy process in Lima, Peru, and promoted the need for a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for water.
Water Cooperation is at the heart of GWP’s mission to support the sustainable development and management of water resources at all levels.