For nearly ten years, GWP Central America has been working with legislators in Honduras to explain the benefits of IWRM and advise on technical aspects as they drafted and refined water legislation.
Key challenges in Central Asia are the degradation of ecosystems and increasing water deficiency. It is a region of scarce water resources, many of which cut across national borders. The intensive use of the limited resources leads to conflicts of interest, making transboundary water resources management crucial to the sustainability of the region’s resources.
In 2009 the Uva Provincial Council and National Water Supply and Drainage Board sought help from GWP Sri Lanka to set up a provincial water resources committee. This request was prompted by a new government policy recommending that provincial water resources committees should be set up to manage drinking water at river basin scale.
While Pakistan endures one of the country’s most devastating floods—possibly its worst ever—GWP Pakistan is joining with others to help provide relief and rehabilitation to remote communities that have been particularly hard-hit. In addition, the GWP Partner Hisaar Foundation and the Karachi Water Partnership, has launched an appeal to raise Rs 10 million for immediate flood relief, largely for the provision of safe drinking water.
GWP Executive Secretary Dr Ania Grobicki participated in a meeting of the Integrated Flood Management HelpDesk,with WMO and other Support Base Partners (SBPs) in Geneva on 4 and 5 October - to discuss achievements so far and what can be done in the future. Since the HelpDesk´s launch in June 2009, 26 requests from 14 countries have so far been received, and dealt with in various different ways depending on the level of the request.
The Mediterranean region covers 1.75 million kM2. With 446 million inhabitants, accounting for 7% of the world population, Mediterranean is encountering a rapid and unbalanced demographic growth and increased urbanization trends. Increasing poverty in urban centres is directly linked with water and health issues.
GWP Chairperson Letitia A. Obeng, GWP Senior Advisor Alan Hall, and GWP-Technical Committee member Patricia Wouters attended the Department for International Development's (DFID) launch of a New Water and Sanitation Policy for Africa and Asia on October 28 in London.