How consolidated efforts can help to reach sustainable development in the region of the Mediterranean Sea to ensure preservation and improvement of the environment and the rich biodiversity, was discussed and presented at the Side Event “Challenges and Opportunities for a Mediterranean Green Growth.”
Senior Officials from the 43 country members of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) recently approved a project entitled "Overcoming governance challenges to the mobilisation of financing for the Mediterranean water sector", aimed to identify and provide solutions to the lack of basic elements for a sound governance framework for the mobilisation of financing for the water sector in many Mediterranean countries, including absorption capacity at both national and local levels.
Two-thirds of the Central American population lives in urban areas which is why GWP Central America, with the support of CapNet and LAWETNet, organized a regional workshop on Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) at the Pan-American School for Agriculture (Zamorano) in Honduras from 29 October to 1 November 2012. Participants included representatives of the six countries of the region from municipalities of major cities, water and sanitation agencies, and universities.
Collaboration among West African countries has led to the development of IWRM action plans in Togo, Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire, and IWRM roadmaps in Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone.
In 2011, GWP Nicaragua was asked by Autoridad Nacional del Agua, the national water authority, to help prepare a guide to be used as the basis of all basin management plans implemented in the country.
GWP El Salvador, together with the National Foundation for Development and Lutheran World Relief, organised the National Forum on Climate Change in San Salvador on 23-24 February 2011.
For the first time, GWP Central America signed an agreement with a regional development bank to advance IWRM as an essential approach for water security, climate change and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in the region.
The management of water resources in Bangladesh involves a centralised, heavy engineering approach in order to control floods and install irrigation, however, there is now a pressing need for ensuring social justice and equity in water resource development. Recognising the role of water in poverty alleviation, action has been taken to implement a 25-year National Water Management Plan. Although this is one important step, it is evident that many issues require more work.
The Danube region is characterised by long-term cooperation. One of the most important agreements is the Danube River Protection Convention, aiming to achieve sustainable and equitable water management. To achieve this, the Danubian countries have taken appropriate legal, administrative and technical measures to at least maintain and improve the ecological and water quality conditions. The main lesson learnt is that strong cooperation among all the involved parties is required.
As capacity-building support to its Partner organisations, the Global Water Partnership and the University of Dundee, will offer scholarships for 30 participants to undertake a module in International Water Law, in Dundee, August 1-19, 2011. Applications will be accepted from
4 March to 30 April 2011.