With the support of the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of the Environmental Protection, the High-Level Round Table Meeting was jointly organized by GWP China and the Swiss Development Cooperation Agency (SDC) in Beijing, on April 8, 2010. The co-sponsors include The Nature Conservancy, UNESCO Office Beijing, UNICEF Office for China, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR) and Chinese National Committee on Large Dams.
GWP Myanmar and GWP Southeast Asia organised a five-day regional training-of-trainers course on river basin organisations in Yangon, Myanmar, in March. In order to meet the considerable diversity of participant needs the course was structured around short presentations and sessions for sharing experiences.
Three new members of the GWP Technical Committee have been appointed. After a worldwide search in 2009, 95 nominations were received. Taking into account the Committee’s existing experience and expertise, its regional mix, gender (four women, three men) and its anticipated areas of work, the GWP Steering Committee approved the appointment of the following new members:
The Technical Committee of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) defines Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems and the environment.
“Water security” is an enduring issue which has been a major concern in the world and to this day remains a critical matter in society.
Home to a quarter of the world’s population, South Asia is endowed with vast water resources with potential for high economic development. However spatial and temporal factors in distribution subject the region to water related disasters such as droughts, floods and storm surges, which are increasingly compounded by climate change and global warming.
23-25 March 2010, Ashgabat, Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan
Background
GWP representatives from Stockholm were specially invited to participate through an initiative by our partners of the upcoming Country Water Partnership of Turkmenistan. This event was regarded as a strategic opportunity for introducing how IWRM can be a helpful mechanism in a concrete project.