GWP South America recently organised the first Latin American workshop on International Waters Law. The initiative is a collaboration with GWP Central America and aims to encourage improved international cooperation on water governance.
Uneven geographical distribution, coupled with pressures from rapid population growth, increased urbanization, industrialization and environmental degradation, is a big challenge to the sustainable development of Uganda’s freshwater resources. However, the policy and institutional framework has advanced over the past two decades in Uganda. The policy and legal reform process started with the introduction of the Water Act (1995) and the Uganda Water Action Plan (1995). Other key policies included the National Water Policy (1999) and the Local Government Act (1997, 2000). A key Lesson learnt is that political support matters in achieving success, as does the nature and logic of the political system. In Uganda, political prioritization of water and poverty was central to progress. The depth and longevity of sector reform relies on political support, which can ebb and flow.
China is at the heart of debates around the perceived trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection. Since the early 1990s, the country has experienced remarkable economic growth, lifting nearly 600 million people out of poverty and averaging a per capita GDP growth rate of 8.9%. The question of how to release water to growing urban areas and industries while continuing to increase farm production and rural incomes is therefore something of a political headache.Since 2000, the government’s desire to build an ‘ecological civilization’ has meant greater integration of economic development, environmental protection and poverty reduction in the country’s most important national planning documents and policy agendas. Promoting more efficient agricultural water use can encourage economic growth and is a good investment. China’s success in releasing water from its agricultural sector has allowed its industry and services to use the water saved to grow.
The vision of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) is for a water secure Caribbean and its mission is to support Caribbean countries in the sustainable development and management of their water resources at the community, national and regional levels.
A meeting initiated by the Network for Green Economy and Environment of Côte d'Ivoire (REVE-CI) took place on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 in Abidjan by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Côte d'Ivoire. The meetings for the green economy are a framework for exchanges between stakeholders contributing to the development of the green economy and preserving the environment in Ivory Coast. They aim to improve human well-being while reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcity.
First workshop of the Integrated Drought Management Programme in Central and Eastern Europe was held on 15-16 October in Hodrusa Hamre.
The Roundtable "Role of Mass media and Public in Water Saving Promotion" under initiative by SIC ICWC was held by the Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan jointly with the Embassy of Israel in the Republic of Uzbekistan on 13 November 2013 in the La Grande Plaza Hotel in Tashkent.
On 19 November 2014 in Seoul (Korea), GWP CACENA Regional Coordinator Vadim Sokolov took part in the 16th Governing Council meeting of Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) and the 2nd meeting for preparing the 7th World Water Forum.
Costa Rica is one of three countries chosen to participate in a pilot project financed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the improvement on water availability. GWP Costa Rica was a key partner in the coordination of 14 regional and sectorial workshops. The input from the process was important for the elaboration of the final document, which was launched at a formal event in San José, Costa Rica on October 31, 2013.
“An integrated approach to managing and developing the world’s water resources is vital for not only driving world economies, ensuring human well-being and security from hunger, but can also serve as an essential building block for enhancing coherence on adaptation,” said Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, Chair of GWP at a side event at the Bonn climate change negotiations. “Water is the connecting link because climate impacts are largely felt through the medium of water,” she said.