The Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) have unveiled a joint programme to support climate change adaptation in Africa.
8-10 December 2009, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
This was the third time in the history of GWP CACENA when the region met in Kyrgyzstan. Halfway through the year the regional work plan had to be changed and the Annual Stakeholders Conference (Regional CP) was cancelled, due to uncertainties in the funding of the Work Plan.
The RC meeting was attended by council members and partly by regional TEC member from all eight countries participated in the meeting.
Dakar, Senegal, 21-23 January 2010
The event took place in Dakar, Senegal from 21 to 23 January 2010, at the invitation of the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS).
The meeting was held under the auspices of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Senegal and honored with the effective presence of the President of the Senate, the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Economic and Social Council, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Energy of the Republic of Senegal, as well as of the Minister for Energy and Water of the Republic of Mali, the Minister for Hydraulics and Sanitation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Vice-Mayor of Dakar and the High-Commissioner of OMVS.
The Technical Committee of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) defines Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems and the environment.
Home to a quarter of the world’s population, South Asia is endowed with vast water resources with potential for high economic development. However spatial and temporal factors in distribution subject the region to water related disasters such as droughts, floods and storm surges, which are increasingly compounded by climate change and global warming.
Urgency for a Water Secure World
Throughout the planet, a number of issues affecting the availability and state of water resources cause a growing concern. The population is increasing. Pollution is increasing. Development pressures are mounting. However, water supply is not. Water demand by people, agriculture, food production and industry heavily pressurizes the limited water supply of the planet and ecosystems which are also dependent on water.
GWP Acting Executive Secretary Martin Walshe together with Network Officer Aly Kerdany and representatives of the GWP Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, Western Africa & Central Africa regions attended the Joint Meetings of the African Ministers’ Council On Water(AMCOW), African Development Bank (ADB), and UN Water in Addis Ababa 7-9 October 2008.
The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and key donors such as the African Development Bank signed an agreement providing funds to translate the Regional Water Policy adopted by heads of state in October 2009 into action. The allocation of funding is a crucial step along the road to improving water management in the region.
The GWP CEE delegation will participate in the third Conference on the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.