In Central Asia, water is unevenly distributed with states positioned downstream being placed in a very unfavourable position. The situation is further complicated since the benefits from cooperation are highly asymmetrical. Despite the challenge, the states have taken action and entered into a regional agreement, which attracted the international donor community to engage further. This case illustrates how international initiatives can influence institutional arrangements in transboundary basins.
The 3rd Council Meeting of the GWP Shaanxi was held on November 13, 2012 in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. The theme of the meeting is to review the working progress and financial report since its founding; to modify the statutes and to elect the second council members.
The South African Country Water Partnership (SACWP) was first launched in 2002 at a time when the Department of Water Affairs was heavily engaging with different stakeholders for implementing its 1998 new water law. Since the launch, there have been a number of attempts to revive the CWP.
Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, have agreed to establish a strategic partnership to jointly undertake work on climate resilience and WASH. The initial collaboration is for six months, with a potential continuation.
Dniester river basin is a transboundary basin shared by Moldova and Ukraine. Throughout the Soviet era, the water quality deteriorated severely. After the USSR was dissolved, a bilateral agreement was signed by Moldova and Ukraine on the joint use and protection of water resources. This cooperation framework is based on the contributions of network of local authorities. This case illustrates the importance of cooperation among all key stakeholders.
More than 50 countries and numerous international organizations, including a GWP delegation, met at the sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes in Rome, Italy, on 28-30 November 2012.
The Danube region is characterised by long-term cooperation. One of the most important agreements was the Danube River Protection Convention, created with an intention of intensifying cooperation in the field of water protection and water use between countries in the Danube basin. Under auspices of this convention, the Joint Danube Survey was launched. This case demonstrates the importance of collecting data to assess how to move forward with any project.