The Mediterranean lies on the cross road of three continents and it has been the cradle of major civilizations. The shared century-old experiences and diverse cultures have resulted to uneven levels of economic development and socio-political systems.
GWP Southern Africa is actively involved with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Water Division and other Partners in preparations for the 5th SADC Multi-stakeholder Water Dialogue which will be held in Swaziland in June 2011.
Dedication to consultation and communication paid off in 2010 as policy makers established and consolidated a relationship with researchers in the Challenge Programme on Water and Food (CPWF) in the Limpopo River Basin.
The Volta River Basin is one of the largest river systems in Africa covering an area of approximately 400,000 km2. The river basin stretches from latitude 5o 30' N in Ghana to 14o 30' N in Mali.
In 2009 the Uva Provincial Council and National Water Supply and Drainage Board sought help from GWP Sri Lanka to set up a provincial water resources committee. This request was prompted by a new government policy recommending that provincial water resources committees should be set up to manage drinking water at river basin scale.
GWP Slovakia has been introducing the IWRM approach to the Association of Municipalities, using the guide Sustainable Sanitation in Central and Eastern Europe prepared by GWP Central and Eastern Europe as a key resource.
In January 2008, GWP-CEE – together with Women in Europe for a Common Future, the European Water Partnership, KIWA Water Research, Coalition Clean Baltic, and Coram Industries – organised a high-level policy dialogue on EU Sanitation Policies and Practices in the 2008 International Year of Sanitation in Brussels, Belgium.
Costa Rica is making progress in expanding access to water supply and sanitation, but the sector faces challenges when it comes to sanitation connections, poor service quality, and low cost recovery.