The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) under its Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) together with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Amazon Project, the GEF International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network (IW:LEARN) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) under the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)-GIZ Caribbean Aqua-Terrestrial Solutions Programme hosted a three-day Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) from October 21st – 23rd, 2014 in St. Lucia.
Michael Mutale from Zambia is the first ever winner of the UNESCO-IHE Alumni Award 2013. Mr. Mutale has been involved with GWP since its early days in 1996, and was instrumental in setting up many of GWP’s projects in Southern Africa.
The Pantanoso watershed in Montevideo has been identified as vulnerable to threats of intense rains and floods, posing risks to the human settlements. To combat the risks, action was taken by the local population and governmental authorities to engage in a project on Climate Related Disaster Risk Management. The key lesson is that strengthening vulnerable communities upon climate risks represents a key tool for the IWRM, since it contributes to empowering the population.
The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) in partnership with the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) is seeking a suitable consultant to review and revise the Antigua and Barbuda Draft National Water Policy, with consideration of institutional changes to date, on-going processes and highlighting the evolving nature of the water sector due to climate change.
The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is pleased to welcome Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, to the GWP as a Patron of the organisation.
To improve monitoring and management of river basins in Slovakia, a project was initiated among secondary school students with the objective to attract the attention of young generation to the protection of the river basin and to mobilise the interest of local communities in public campaigns to improve the quality of river basin. The key lesson drawn from this case study is that linking education activities and local communities campaigns are effective tool for public participation.
The district of Cameron Highlands is subjected to a range of environmental problems, ranging from landslides, mudslides, erosion, siltation to water woes. Action was taken by the WWF advocating sustainable highland development to safeguard Cameron Highlands’ delicate ecosystem. Furthermore, through community initiative, the Regional Environmental Awareness of Cameron Highlands was created. This case highlights the value of cooperation between NGOs and community initiatives.
There have been many dialogues and seminars on river pollution in the past 20 years or so. Generally everyone agrees that as a country, we desperately need to do something about the sad state of our rivers, especially when we hope to achieve developed nation status by 2020. However, we have not been successful in translating consensus at these forums into changes on the ground.