To enable countries of West Africa to improve the coordination of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), Coastal zones (ICZM), but also taking into account linkages between basins and coastal areas and the linkage between ecosystem-based, land use and water resources management, a regional workshop on climate change and IWRM in West Africa was organized.
West Africa has ten aquifers and some countries have no other alternative water resources than groundwater.
The Lake Victoria Basin is facing major ecological challenges stemming from unsustainable agriculture practices and deforestation, impacting the livelihoods of the local communities. Actions have been taken, including an action plan for management of the basin and the establishment of Lake Victoria Basin Commission, responsible for management initiatives. This case study provides insights into the link between policy formulation and implementation and enforcement. Especially, it demonstrates the importance of rooting the policies within the local communities.
In Costa Rica, action was taken to introduce water pricing to pay for services provided by forests in watershed areas. As a result, Costa Rica’s watershed owners are beginning to be rewarded for providing water, whether for drinking or for generating electricity. The main lesson is that initiatives that ensure local groups are included in the benefits of conservation are needed to involve them in helping to protect the water catchment areas.
In 2000, GWP developed the IWRM ToolBox. Broadly defined, the ToolBox consists of a wide range of materials such as case studies and reference documents dealing with water resource management.
József Gayer is the new Chair of the Global Water Partnership Hungary it was announced on 10 January 2012.
GWP Honduras together with Fundación Vida and the Association of Municipalities of Honduras (AMHON) coordinated a workshop to train representatives of 25 municipalities of western Honduras on IWRM in the city of Danli, on September 6, 2012. This activity was part of a broader program led by AMHON and the National Forest Conservation Institute (ICF) on the protection of forests. The objective was to impart knowledge on the main concepts of IWRM to increase its use in local settings.
It is estimated that with 2.5 % of global landmass, India has 4% of the world’s freshwater resources. This has come under increasing demographic stress since India is home to about 16% of the global population. To build public awareness around water, the Ministry of Water Resources of the Government of India has created India Water Week as a platform for involving stakeholders.