On 25 November 2011 in Tirana, Albania the five Drin River Riparians signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a Shared Strategic Vision for the Sustainable Management of the Drin River Basin for the benefit of about 1.5 million people relying on the water resources of the basin for drinking water, agriculture, fisheries, industry and hydropower.
The Zambian Government mainstreamed adaptation to climate change in the water chapter of the 6th National Development Plan. This is the result of close collaboration between the Ministry of Energy and Water Development, the Water Sector Advisory Group (WSAG) under the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, and other stakeholders fostered by GWP Zambia.
In May, GWP Cambodia launched a report on river basin management in Asia together with the Asia Development Bank (ADB) and the Cambodia National Mekong Committee, outlining results from a 4-year programme, including an investment roadmap for water and related development. The report, which will serve as a case study for the application of IWRM in Cambodia, is available in Khmer or English and can be ordered on the GWP Cambodia website.
Costa Rica is making progress in expanding access to water supply and sanitation, but the sector faces challenges when it comes to sanitation connections, poor service quality, and low cost recovery.
Participants at the High-Level Roundtable on Water Resources Management System Development in China, organised in April 2012 by GWP China, discussed the setting up of a water resources management system with well-defined duties, rights and responsibilities, standard and collaborative operations, and coordination mechanisms for river basin and regional development, using the IWRM approach.
This package includes six DVDs containing videos and learning material on several water related themes. It was produced by the Water Channel and supported by GWP and other agencies.
The objective of World Water Day on 22 March 2011 is to focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems. This year’s theme, Water for cities: responding to the urban challenge, aims to spotlight and encourage governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to actively engage in addressing the challenges of urban water management.
The twin engines of urbanisation and resource depletion will undermine efforts to achieve water security: water availability will be eroded and conflicts will escalate. The assumptions underlying conventional urban water management must be revisited.