On 30 January, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and GWP organised an online peer-to-peer exhange on drought management in Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing together 250 experts, policy makers, and scientists from the region.
Implemented by GWP-Med within the framework of the GEF UNEP/MAP MedProgramme, Phase II of the WEFE Nexus Assessment for Lebanon aims to enhance the country’s food security by assessing the options for the optimization of water allocation between competing uses.
On October 12, 13 and 14, 2023, the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Sanitation organized the Forum on IWRM implementation in Burkina Faso. The event, held under the patronage of Burkina Faso's Prime Minister, brought together over 400 participants from all levels of IWRM implementation in the country.
The meeting of the Ministers in charge of Water Resources and Sanitation of the Member States of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) was held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on 12 July 2024, under the Chair of Ms Justine GOSSE, Chargée d'Affaires a. i. at the Embassy of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in Burkina Faso, representing the Minister of Water and Forests and the Minister of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire.
Water, vital for sustaining life, is becoming increasingly scarce as global demand has surged tenfold over the past century. In Southeast Asia, ASEAN countries share 19 transboundary water resources, including surface and groundwater, most of which are managed bilaterally. The Mekong River Commission (MRC), formed by Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, aims to promote sustainable development, management, and conservation of the Mekong Basin. Despite growing cooperation, challenges remain, such as the lack of legal frameworks for managing shared aquifers and the absence of cooperation mechanisms beyond the Mekong region. Water diplomacy provides a vital approach, offering strategies to address disputes and foster joint water governance through political processes that extend beyond traditional water agreements.
The planet is facing multiple challenges, such as poverty, inequality, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Haiti, as part of this region, is the most vulnerable country to climate change, according to the World Risk Index. Over the last 34 years, the country has suffered from the effects of droughts, floods, hurricanes, and more. These affect vulnerable communities, including women and girls, children, and youth.
As a leading authority on water governance, GWP continued to put water at the centre of development at the UN 2023 Water Conference by participating in and leading over 30 events, committing pledges to the Water Action Agenda, and launching a sourcebook on managing multistakeholder partnerships to improve the global management of water resources. But, despite the best efforts of the delegates, was this conference the watershed moment promised?
GWP-Med in partnership with the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) led activities in Palestine for the GWL Programme, a global initiative supporting emerging leadership for improved water, sanitation and hygiene services, and climate resilience. GWL was funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).