World Water Day, held on 22 March every year, is an annual United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of freshwater, raising awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. The theme of World Water Day 2024 is ‘Water for Peace’.
The Water Changemaker Innovation Awards 2023 is proud to announce the top 30 finalists selected from a pool of exceptionally innovative and impactful projects dedicated to addressing water-related challenges worldwide. The finalists have been announced during a hybrid event held on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, 22 September 2023.
Growing populations and climatic impacts are placing unprecedented pressure on water resources. This is true of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region which comprises 16 Member States, whose population in 2018, was estimated to be at 345.2 million, a rise from 336.9 million as of 2017. Rivers play a pivotal role in the region's socio-economic development, as evidenced by its reliance on these waterways. Southern Africa boasts of 15 major transboundary river basins, shared among neighbouring countries, with 13 basins entirely within the region's borders. However, the equitable distribution of water resources remains a challenge, exacerbated by climatic factors influencing rainfall patterns and the geographical distribution of river basins. While these rivers can spark conflicts, they also serve as conduits for peace and cooperation. Therefore, prioritizing transboundary water cooperation is not merely about economic prosperity but also essential for nurturing stability and harmony throughout the region.
An evaluation of portfolio project proposals of the National Designated Authority (NDA) in the Central African Republic revealed that gender was not adequately considered in climate project proposals submitted to Climate funds most especially, the Green Climate Fund. This meant that the project proposals did not meet the GCF requirements for the inclusion of gender and the NDA did not have the capacity to verify gender inclusion. To address this, the GWL-led GCF Country Readiness project in the country coordinated the development of a Gender and Social Inclusion Assessment Framework.
On Friday, 30 June 2023, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat handed over a climate-smart agriculture pilot project to Metsimotlhabe Community Trust in Botswana. The project was officially handed over to the community by Mr. Nchidzi Mmolawa, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs, who was the Guest of Honour at the event.
The Community of Learning and Practice on Drought Management for Central and Eastern Europe and Northern Mediterranean (CLP CEE & NM) was launched during a landmark event held on 22-24 April in Chisinau, Moldova.
As leader of Communication and Dissemination in the Horizon 2020 REXUS project, GWP-Med participated in the NexusNet Cost Action Stakeholder’s Forum on Nexus implementation in South Europe, and reports on the results.
