GWP Central Africa supported the Cameroonian Ministry of Economy and Planning to carry out a one-year survey of the proposed site of a deep-water port at Kribi. GWP Central Africa developed a forward-looking planning and decision-support tool to help ensure more efficient land use, to preserve the integrity of the port facilities, and to aid natural resources management and the preservation of vital ecosystems. This work shows how IWRM principles can be put into practice at the local level, as part of a major infrastructure project.
In the Danube hydrographic basin, agricultural practices continue to be the main source of water pollution. A pilot project “Best Agricultural Practices” was initiated focusing on e.g. nutrient management, conservation tillage and manure management. Awareness campaigns were initiated, training and education of farmers were emphasised. The key lesson is that these projects should be complimented by other technical and investment measures.
Due to increased agricultural irrigation and large scale dam projects, and inappropriate land and water management practices, the water inflow to the Komadugu Yobe Basin has dramatically been reduced. Action has been taken to establish a legal and policy enabling environment, as well as to increase knowledge among the local communities to establish more sustainable behaviour. The main lesson learnt was that although a multi-stakeholder participatory approach is slow, it helped to mobilise partnership.
At the request of the countries, a mission from GWP West Africa visited Gambia and Sierra Leone 19-28 September 2011, to follow up on the will expressed in 2009, during the development process of the IWRM roadmap, to set up GWP Country Water Partnerships. Exchanges on the importance of transboundary waters and their management mechanisms such as the UN Convention on International Water Courses were also discussed.
Estonia lies along the Baltic Sea, just south of Finland and has a climate of icy, snowy winters and long light summers.
GWP Chile organized a seminar "Towards an Integrated Water Resources Management” in Santiago on Tuesday, December 13 together with the Faculty of Law at Gabriela Mistral University. The workshop emerged as an initiative from the Diagnosis of Water Resources Management developed by the World Bank and disseminated by the General Water Directorate in June 2011.
Astien groundwater aquifer has been subjected to over-use due to good water quality and over-extraction. To address this, SMETA, a syndicate of local authorities, was established to organise the management of the aquifer. Key lesson learnt is that an organisation like SMETA can prove to be a successful forum for groundwater protection.
The Upper Guadiana Basin provides a classic example of conflict caused by the intensive use of water resources in a semiarid region. Since the 1960s, uncontrolled abstraction of groundwater to provide water for crop irrigation in the area has lowered the water table in places by up to 50m, causing the main river channels to run dry and some wetlands to become desiccated. On the other hand, the abstraction has also supported a booming agricultural economy.
GWPSA participated in the 24th Water Resources Committee (WRTC) meeting held on 7-8 May in Lusaka, Zambia. The WRTC delegates comprise directors of water departments in SADC member states and SADC implementing and co-financing agencies of the RSAP 3. GWPSA was present as an implementing partner of the Regional Water Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Mr. Andrew Takawira, GWPSA Senior Programmes Manager, participated in the meeting and gave a presentation on GWPSAs upcoming activities in support of the RSAP 3, with specific mention to supporting Climate Change Adaptation in the Sector.
For the purpose of better building and management of urban water environment, the GWP China Hebei, jointly with Water Branch of Hebei Provincial Senior Scientists Association and Water Bureau of Shijiazhuang City of Hebei Province, organized “High-level Forum on Urban Water Environment Building and Management” on November 27- 28, 2011 in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province with over 80 participants .