Developed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a climate change adaptation strategy for the water sector was officially launched at COP 17 in December 2011 in Durban, South Africa. It effectively sees SADC take up the challenge of responding to the threat of climate change in southern Africa.
China is faced with significant costs regarding floods and degradation of ecological conditions in the Yangtze River basin. As a response, the application of Ecosystem Function Conservation Areas approach has been initiated not only to increase water retention capacity and reduce sediment loads, but also to provide benefits in biodiversity, carbon sequestration and sustainable land management. The key lesson is that success is easier to achieve with positive natural and political conditions.
Rural and peri-urban areas are often neglected when making infrastructure investments. However, these areas could gain from treatment of domestic wastewater through the construction of wetlands. In Bulgaria, the problem of wastewater treatment was addressed through the construction of a wetland for treating wastewater from domestic sources. The lesson learnt is the importance of community initiatives.
The Great Ruaha River is important in terms of the utilisation of its water for agriculture, meeting the ecological needs, and the generation of hydroelectric power. During the early nineties, a series of zero flows in this previously perennial river alerted the authorities to hydrological and environmental change. A project was initiated to investigate the reasons and possible solutions. This case illustrates the critical role and benefits of long-term, large-scale, interdisciplinary research in approaching complex problems.
The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is a worldwide network and an intergovernmental organisation, supporting countries and regions in their vision for a water secure world and their mission to support the sustainable development and management of water and related resources worldwide. GWP has a network of over 2600 partner organisations, with 13 Regional Water Partnerships and 80 Country Water Partnerships.
Developed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a climate change adaptation strategy for the water sector was officially launched at COP 17 in December 2011 in Durban, South Africa. It effectively sees SADC take up the challenge of responding to the threat of climate change in southern Africa.
On the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March), Global Water Partnership has interviewed women in the water community across the Network on their journey to become successful in their professions, how to overcome obstacles they face as women, and also recommendations to other women.