Kamuisa village in Dedza district is just a few meters from Lake Malawi, the fifth largest freshwater body in the world, and yet the community could not produce enough food to last all year round. The community could not cultivate enough during the rainy season and did not have the infrastructure to collect water from the lake. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat came in to support the community to establish a climate-resilient water, energy, and food nexus project that would utilise water from the lake for irrigation of various crops and domestic use.
GWP SAS in collaboration with the Cooperate Social Responsibility Team of Brandix Apparel Ltd. organised a field visit to the Brandix Essentials Rambukkana plant in Sri Lanka on 19 December 2022.
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.
COP28 UAE (Nov 30 to Dec 12) will see the world take stock of its progress on the Paris Agreement with the objective of providing a comprehensive assessment of progress since its adoption. This will help recalibrate climate action efforts with needs in order to bridge the gaps in progress.
GWP SAS, in collaboration with South Asia Rainwater Network (SARNET), Lanka Rainwater Harvesting Forum (LRWHF) and Women for Water Partnership (WfWP) jointly organised a webinar on Rainwater harvesting for disaster risk reduction in flood and drought crises on 3 August 2023. This is part of the “Signposts to Bali” initiative, a deliberation of WfWP for the preparation for the 10th World Water Forum.
The study tour of the IFAS working group (WG) to the Commission on the Mekong River organized by the Central Asian Water and Energy Program, managed by the World Bank and the OECD, was held from 2 to 7 April 2023.
