On May 7, 2015, the 6th National Comprehensive Disaster Prevention and Reduction Forum was held in Beijing.
The ministers in charge of water of Benin, Burkina and Niger have signed on 22 December 2015 in Cotonou, Benin the framework agreement of cooperation for the promotion of political dialogue and sustainable development of the Mékrou basin, an affluent of the Niger River shared by the three countries.
The general objective of this Cooperation Framework Agreement is to promote political dialogue and sustainable development of the three states in order to facilitate good governance in the planning and the integrated and sustainable management of the natural resources of the Mekrou Transboundary sub-basin, taking into account socio-economic needs, food security, poverty reduction through the preservation, the conservation of ecosystems and the improvement of the living conditions of local communities.
Ms Christine GBEDJI VYAHO, Benin Minister of Water
With one of the lowest per capita freshwater resources in the world, China have been investing in and seeking new ideas and methods for improving both supply side and demand side management of water resources. This has included numerous experiments in “eco-compensation”. These experiences demonstrate that eco-compensation should be considered as a potential tool for Integrated River Basin Management to address financing shortfalls, identify management pitfalls, and convince key stakeholders to participate.
A delegation from GWP is travelling to Sendai, Japan, to take part in the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) on 14-18 March. GWP will co-lead a working session on “Integrated Water Resources Management” together with WMO and UNESCO.
The Zimbabwe Water Partnership (ZWP) was formed in May 2000. The Partnership is operating under the vision promoting a “Water Secure Zimbabwe through application of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) Principles”, and its’ mission is to support sustainable development and management of water resources at all levels in the country.
GWP has presented its contribution to the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) at the 17th World Meteorological Congress in Geneva.
International water cooperation is essential. This was one of the key messages that Ambassador Robert F. Van Lierop delivered in his keynote speech at the GWP Consulting Partners Meeting in Stockholm. He made it clear that climate adaptation issues affect the entire world.
An expanded GWP Technical Committee (TEC) meeting took place 29-30 August in Stockholm, bringing together 35 participants and experts selected by the GWP regional partnerships. GWP Executive Secretary Dr. Ania Grobicki encouraged the participants to work as “One GWP”.