Water, the vital source of life, is a cross-cutting resource, water an essential component in building sustainable energy, food and health systems – sustainable livelihoods; yet water lacks recognition among the development sectors and policy makers; it is impossible to reach our vision of a water secure world if we continue to manage water in the future the same way as we do today; we need to stop the fragmentation of its management we need to act now for water for the future: these were some of the points raised at the roundtable the Global Water Partnership organised together with Stockholm International Water Institute at the Swedish Government Stockholm+40 conference on 23-25 April 2012.
‒ Launching of a Strategic Framework at Africa Water Week 2012
In an effort to address the twin challenges of water security and climate change, the African Ministers Council on Water launched The Strategic Framework for Water Security and Climate Resilient Development on May 14, 2012, at the Africa Water Week, in Cairo, Egypt.
The Global Water Partnership together with IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, under the auspices of UNESCO, at the University of Dundee, is looking to build on their successful 2011 International Water Law Programme, and offer scholarships for 30 participants to undertake a module in International Water Law, in Dundee 11-29 June 2012.
The investigation and survey on water resources in islands, rural drinking water safety and small watershed management carried out by GWP China Fujian, with the support from Fujian Provincial Water Resources Department, starting from earlier this year, ended in August.
The International Conference on Drinking Water Safety in Arid Areas for exchanging views and sharing experiences in ensuring safety of drinking water in the arid areas.
The International Roundtable on Protection and Sustainable Use of Transboundary Waters in Southeastern Europe was held on the 15th and 16th of December 2011 in Zagreb, Croatia.
AMCOW and GWP continued to advocate for water in the climate change negotations at the COP17 in Durban 2-9 December 2011.
GWP India partner Jheel Sanrakshan Samiti (JSS), together with GWP India, convened Women Self Help Groups from 21 communities on 10 October 2011 to address the role of women in the management of water. The marginalized role of women is related to social, educational and cultural traditions, the participants concluded, noting that the State Water Policy stresses the importance of the participation and involvement of women in water management.
In 2009 the Uva Provincial Council and National Water Supply and Drainage Board sought help from GWP Sri Lanka to set up a provincial water resources committee. This request was prompted by a new government policy recommending that provincial water resources committees should be set up to manage drinking water at river basin scale.