Water Knowledge Europe is the specialized brokerage event of Water Europe (WE) that allows participants to network, exchange knowledge and experiences, and to collaborate with key actors from across the water value chain. A digital summer edition of the event takes place on 15 July.
"The Green Deal for a Sustainable Future" was the theme of the 2021 digital edition of the European Development Days (EDD21) on 15-16 June, a European Commission event. GWP was represented at a high-level panel on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and at a discussion on the role of water as a connector in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Both discussions highlighted integration between sectors as key to improving water governance.
African water ministers’ call for the establishment of an International High-Level Panel on Water for Africa has reached the official preparatory process for the Mid-Term Review of the UN Water Action Decade in 2023.
On 23 June, GWP Chair Howard Bamsey took part in a panel discussion on water and climate organised by pharmaceutical company Bayer and the Water and Climate Coalition. Bamsey said the water community needs to better articulate the central role of water in climate: “Water is a part of the climate struggle.”
GWPSA received news of Michael Mutale’s passing on 20 June 2021 with deep shock. Michael’s dedication, passion, commitment and contribution to the water sector is well known within the SADC region, Africa, and globally. We have lost a true patriot, committed professional, and a dedicated champion of water.
Since the start of 2021, GWP and the International Water Law Academy (IWLA) of Wuhan University have co-organised a series of online events called "Transboundary Freshwater Security Governance Train" - a 'train' of events stopping around the world at different topics related to the main theme. On 15 June, the initial series concluded with its 6th session on international water law and transboundary groundwater. "We are in front of a puzzle, and this can get very frustrating – there are a lot of pieces, and it takes a lot of time,” said Dr. Francesco Sindico when he described what he called a complex maze of international law applicable to transboundary aquifers.
