Urgency for a Water Secure World
Throughout the planet, a number of issues affecting the availability and state of water resources cause a growing concern. The population is increasing. Pollution is increasing. Development pressures are mounting. However, water supply is not. Water demand by people, agriculture, food production and industry heavily pressurizes the limited water supply of the planet and ecosystems which are also dependent on water.
On March 3rd, 2010, the host of Singapore International Water Week awarded Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2010 to the Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC).
Since December 2009, GWP Armenia and its Partners have been deeply involved in solving household wastewater treatment problems. As a result of long-time lobbying, in 2010 funds from the United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF) were granted to address wastewater treatment in Parakar, Armenia, where it was a serious problem.
GWP Chair Dr. Letitia A Obeng participated in the General Assembly of the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) in Dakar, from 20 to 22 January 2010. The theme of the General Assembly was “the adaptation to consequences of climate change in basins: tools for action”. The assembly gathered together around 250 participants from all continents.
GWP Caribbean took a cue from the experiences of other Regional Water Partnerships – particularly GWP Central America and GWP West Africa – who have found that the media is one of the best channels for creating awareness about water issues among the general public.
Dakar, Senegal, 21-23 January 2010
The event took place in Dakar, Senegal from 21 to 23 January 2010, at the invitation of the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS).
The meeting was held under the auspices of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Senegal and honored with the effective presence of the President of the Senate, the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Economic and Social Council, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Energy of the Republic of Senegal, as well as of the Minister for Energy and Water of the Republic of Mali, the Minister for Hydraulics and Sanitation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Vice-Mayor of Dakar and the High-Commissioner of OMVS.
GWP Slovakia, GWP Hungary and GWP Ukraine worked with municipalities, river basin organisations, NGOs, farmers and urban planning authorities to develop a workable partnership to manage flood risks in the transboundary Bodrog River Basin.
GWP Slovakia has been introducing the IWRM approach to the Association of Municipalities, using the guide Sustainable Sanitation in Central and Eastern Europe prepared by GWP Central and Eastern Europe as a key resource.
Aqua Vitae is a Latin American non-profit magazine, specializing in water and sanitation which seeks to raise awareness of the challenges of water resources management and to propose innovative alternatives for their care. This is an interview with Dr Letitia A Obeng, Global Water Partnership Chair.
The interview is also available in Spanish.