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.
The First Preparatory Meeting for Rio+20, which will discuss the substantive themes, will be held from May 17-19, 2010 at the United Nations ECOSOC in New York.
Situated west of Senegal, Cape Verde is a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The climate is temperate with warm dry summers. The precipitation is meager and erratic. The terrain is volcanic with one active Volcano (Fogo) which last erupted in 1995. Cape Verde is rich in salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay and gypsum.
At a GWP press briefing on 8 June 2010 at the UNFCCC climate change negotiations in Bonn, Germany, GWP Executive Secretary Dr. Ania Grobicki called for water, climate and development to be integrated into the UNFCCC's work on adaptation.
The African continent has the highest number of transboundary river basins that collectively cover 64% of Africa’s surface area and contain just over 93% of its surface water resources. These rivers are shared between many countries. While a common water resource is a potential source of conflict, it also has tremendous potential as a driver for economic growth on the African continent where, for example, less than 4% of the available water is utilised, and less than 7% of the hydropower potential is realised.
Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) was among various water agencies and stakeholders invited to the Project Launch Workshop of a Regional Water Sector Review being spearheaded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
The Workshop on Efficient Use of Water Resources and Ecological Compensation on Loess Pleteau of the Yellow River, co-organized by GWP China Yellow River and Yellow River Research Institute, was held on September 27 and 28, 2010, Zhengzhou, Henan Province.
In 2013, the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) launched a joint Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) to improve the monitoring and prevention of one of the world’s biggest natural hazards.