Johan Holmberg will be stepping down as Chair of the EUWI Finance Working Group after three busy and intensive years which have seen the FWG creating a strong niche in promoting a more strategic approach to water sector financing. Alan Hall has been appointed to take over as Chair from 1 December 2009.
The Global Water Partnership (GWP) has appointed Dr. Mohamed Ait Kadi as the new GWP Technical Committee Chair, effective October 1, 2009.
As one of sponsors of the 3rd Yangtze River Forum which is one of great water events in China, the GWP China contributed both experts and expertise to the forum, April 19~21, 2009.
New impetus has been given to GWP’s relationship with the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) in light of the African Union summit held in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt), in June 2008.
GWP Eastern Africa (GWP-EA), in collaboration with AMCOW and with funding from the AfDB, ran a survey of 12 countries to assess the state of IWRM planning and implementation.
During 2008, GWP Mediterranean (GWP-Med) helped Egypt and Lebanon with their water supply and sanitation (WSS) and IWRM planning respectively. The assistance was provided within the framework of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI), through country dialogues on water, and with support of the MEDA Water Programme of the European Commission and Greece that leads MED EUWI.
Since 2004 the Finnish government has provided support to GWP Central Asia and Caucasus (GWP CACENA). One result has been the establishment of five Country Water Partnerships, including Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 2008.