The rich biodiversity of the Yellow River estuary wetland needs protection against erosion, salinisation and desertification.
In the context of the 2008 International Year of Sanitation, GWP China organised its 7th High- Level Roundtable Meeting.
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.
In May 2008, the Slovak Association of Villages and Towns (ZMOS) embedded the integrated approach and sustainable sanitation into its Strategy on IWRM in Municipalities and their River Basins.
In 2008, the governments of Mali and Senegal moved closer towards more sustainable management of water resources by finalising their national IWRM plans. This also means a step towards meeting the UN Millennium Development Goal target on access to clean drinking water.
GWP Ethiopia launched pilot projects in the Berki and Messena watersheds to promote IWRM, establish a framework for broader stakeholder participation, and enhance grassrootslevel water management practices.