The first consultation workshop of the Water Policy Dialogue in Palestine, within the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) labelled project Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector was held in close cooperation with the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA), on 13 November 2014, in Ramallah. With more than 40 key stakeholders from the government; private companies and banks; research institutes and Academia; media as well as the Civil Society actively participating, the workshop marked the official launch of the Policy Dialogue to be conducted by GWP-Med within the period 2014-2015.
Left to right - Mike Ramaano, GWPSA Regional Programme, Permanent Secretary for Special Affairs Office of the President – Mr. T. Musukutwa, & Mr. R. Tekateka, GWPSA Advisor during the WACDEP Zimbabwe launch
This third capacity-building workshop was held from 16 to 19 June 2015 and brought together participants from the Local Water Committee of North Massili, the Ministry of Animal Resources, General Directorate of Sanitation, Wastewater and Excreta, the Permanent Secretariat of the National Council for Environment and Sustainable Development, Nakanbé Water Agency and the Directorate of Water Resources.
On May 29, 2013, GWP Georgia organised a meeting with NGOs in Tbilisi for a presentation of the draft water law by an expert group. GWP Georgia’s role as a catalyst was recognized by the participants as having improved the water legislation.
After some devastating floods in the Yangtze, the Chinese government took action and issued a policy to counter floods, including wetland restoration. WWF further assisted and developed four pilot sites to demonstrate the benefits of wetland restoration for biodiversity, and to seek alternative income options for farmers, based on the sustainable use of wetlands. This case illustrates the value of a participatory approach.
With the introduction of IWRM, South Africa has shifted the design and implementation of water management to local institutions. This has created a demand for innovative methods for local stakeholders’ participation. Action was taken to introduce the participatory process Companion Modelling that is based on the use of simulation models and role playing games. Consequently, this case study illustrates new methods and tools that facilitate dialogue and improve decision-making skills of local stakeholders.