Agriculture: the major sector of water consumption
Intensive abstraction for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes has led to depletion of surface and groundwater bodies. Overexploitation of groundwater resources in particular, has led to seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers. Over the last 50 years, water demand for all sectors of activity together has doubled to reach 280 km3/ year in 2007.
GWP membership is open to all organizations involved in water and water resources management. Currently the GWP-SEA network has over 360 member organizations in the 9 Southeast Asia countries; Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippine, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
GWP Executive Secretary Dr Ania Grobicki participated in a meeting of the Integrated Flood Management HelpDesk,with WMO and other Support Base Partners (SBPs) in Geneva on 4 and 5 October - to discuss achievements so far and what can be done in the future. Since the HelpDesk´s launch in June 2009, 26 requests from 14 countries have so far been received, and dealt with in various different ways depending on the level of the request.
The challenges China is facing with the rapid growth of urban centres, and the corresponding demands on limited water and related resources, is immense. This is true on the Loess Plateau which covers an area of some 640,000 km² in the upper and middle of China's Yellow River. A workshop on “Efficient Use of Water Resources and Ecological Compensation” was co-organized by GWP China-Yellow River and the Yellow River Research Institute on 27-28 September 2010, in Zhengzhou, Henan Province.
Drought in the Caribbean is affecting national economies and key sectors such as agriculture, energy production, tourism and water supply. This crisis was the focus of the 6th High Level Session (HLS) of Water Ministers in the Caribbean on 3-4 October 2010 in Grenada. The gathering has been organized annually since 2005 by GWP Caribbean in conjunction with the Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA).
The Fourth Wei River Forum was joint organized by the GWP China Shaanxi, Shaanxi Provincial Department of Water Resources and Wei River Management Bureau of Shaanxi Province in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province on October 13, 2010.
The Workshop on Low-carbon Economy and Rational Use of Water Resources was held jointly by GWP China Hebei and Hebei Senior Scientists Association in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province on October 11, 2010 with support by GWP China, Hebei Provincial Science and Technology Association, Hebei Provincial Department of Water Resources and Hebei Provincial Power Grid Corporations.