The Zambian Government and numerous stakeholders have attached great importance to the water agenda as evidenced in its participation in the SDG Consultation on Water held on 5th March 2014 at Cresta Golfview Hotel, Lusaka, Zambia.
GWP has published a new Technical Focus Paper about the challenges facing small island developing states in the Caribbean. The paper is the first in a series to present a critical review of progress made in water resources planning and practice in GWP regions.
GWP SA, on behalf of SADC is currently making preparations for the forthcoming SADC Water Weeks which have been slated from April – October 2014. The SADC Water Weeks are aimed at ensuring that the Regional Water Programme is well understood and embraced by stakeholders from various sectors at the national level. The SADC Water Weeks were last held in the year 2000 and led to the development of the SADC Water Vision for Water, Life and the Environment
A major impetus has been given to the Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) for Africa at a wide-ranging Technical Coordination Workshop held in Pretoria, South Africa, January 28 to February 1, 2013. Participants from the eight implementing countries and seven key partner agencies shared achievements to date, lessons learned, and challenges to come in implementing the Programme.
“Although water is central to development, its value is often overlooked. It is thus essential that this national consultation helps to ensure that water is properly reflected in any post-2015 agenda. Moreover water is tied to most development themes – such as food, health, energy. So it is essential to recognize the obvious linkages with these other thematic consultations”
There were concerns that Lake Arenal in Northern Costa Rica was threatened due to problems of deforestation and possible premature sedimentation, leading the government to take action, resulting in successful national and local benefits in terms of energy produced and area irrigated. The most important lesson learned is the importance of consulting all parties involved before initiating the project to achieve the best result.
Global Water Partnership – Southern Africa (GWP-SA) will be hosting the 4th Water, Climate and Development Programme for Africa (WACDEP) Technical Coordination Workshop. The workshop will be held in Pretoria, South Africa from January 28-01 February 2013.
GWP China addressed issues connected to climate change, flood control and use of rainwater in a workshop held in Baoding, in the Hebei Province, on 26-27 November 2013.