The Africa Water Facility review mission to Burundi has concluded that the IWRM planning process has achieved its purpose and has recommended financial support to implement the plan. The mission also decided to use its experience in Burundi as a building block for other countries in Eastern Africa and transboundary water management.
Central America is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, so recognising that water is essential to adaptation is crucial to national and regional strategies. To this end, GWP Central America has contributed to the water component in the Action Plan of the Regional Strategy for Climate Change (ERCC) and organised a regional workshop on water and climate change.
Held in Buenos Aires in November, the 12th Conference of Ibero-American Water Directors (CODIA) confirmed the 11 targets and the key political messages initially proposed as part of the Americas' preparatory process for the 6th World Water Forum.
The National Water Law, approved in 2009 (see GWP in Action 2009 Annual Report, p. 24), aims to establish a national framework for water management and stipulates the establishment of watershed councils to improve water governance through stakeholder participation.
The Suriname Water Resources Information System (SWRIS) Project has enhanced water resources management in the country. As well as the online information system, the project has developed a water video, a collection of hydro-meteorological field data, awareness programmes about water resources for primary and secondary schools, training, and academic courses at the BSc and MSc level.
Water Ministers representing four Caribbean countries endorsed recommendations for IWRM and water financing at the 2011 GWP Caribbean/Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) High Level Session (HLS) Ministerial Forum.
Overall Objectives of the Regional Water Partnership in Central Asia and Caucasus
According to the Johannesburg Declaration (2002), the ultimate goal of the activities of Central Asia and Caucasus Partnership Network is to support and assist the countries in implementation of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles towards the World Summit on Sustainable Development and Millennium Development Goals. This process must be accompanied by public involvement in decision-making, support for the political will for cooperation between sectors and countries, initiating dialogue among all stakeholders and supporting practical activities locally implemented including capacity building.