Monthly Report Global Water Partnership

September 2012

Table of contents NewsFlow October 2012 ........................................................................................................................................ 2 GWP Regions ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 CARIBBEAN .............................................................................................................................................................. 11 CENTRAL AFRICA ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 CENTRAL AMERICA .................................................................................................................................................... 22 CHINA ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24 CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE .................................................................................................................................. 26 CENTRAL ASIA AND CAUCASUS .................................................................................................................................... 30 EASTERN AFRICA ....................................................................................................................................................... 31 SOUTH AMERICA ....................................................................................................................................................... 33 SOUTH ASIA ............................................................................................................................................................. 35

Global Water Partnership (GWP), Global Secretariat, Drottninggatan 33, SE-111 51 Stockholm, Sweden

Phone: +46 (0)8 522 126 30, Fax: + 46 (0)8 522 126 31, e-mail: gwp@gwp.org

‘Duty to Cooperate’ – GWP at UN Round-table on Water Security GWP participated in the UN High Level Round-table Discussion on Water, Peace and Security on Tuesday, 25 September 2012, at the UN Headquarters in New York. The round-table was a side event during the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly, and was hosted by the European Union, the United States, and UN-Water. Read more.

NewsFlow October 2012 “Your Organisation is Our Organisation” President of Mongolia visits GWP in Stockholm Sending a clear signal of his commitment to the role of water in human development, President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of Mongolia visited the Global Water Partnership (GWP) Global Secretariat on 10 October 2012, as part of his state visit to Sweden. In the exchange between the President and the GWP delegation, there was agreement on exploring the creation of a GWP Country Water Partnersip. The President also stated his intention for Mongolia to become a GWP Sponsoring Partner and expressed interest in exploring collaboration with GWP on building his country’s resilience to climate change. Read more: http://www.gwp.org/gwp-in-action/News-and-Activities/-Your-Organisation-is-Our-Organisation-/ Caribbean Ministers Commit to Water Security Nine Caribbean Ministers with responsibility for water have committed themselves to making all essential efforts in addressing water security and climate change in the region. This assurance came out of the 8th Annual High Level Session (HLS) Ministerial Forum in The Bahamas, held October 4-5, 2012. The Ministerial Forum is a joint initiative of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) and its partner, the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA). Read more: http://www.gwp.org/en/gwp-in-action/Caribbean/News-and-Activities-GWP-Carribean/Nine-Caribbean-Ministers-Sign-Declaration-for-Addressing-Regional-Water-Security/ Preparing for Droughts to Come One of the consequences of climate change is increasing and widespread drought which will affect a large number of nations. The impacts of drought was discussed at a GWP-convened international Expert Workshop in Bratislava 5-6 October 2012 which brought together 58 key stakeholders from different sectors and international organizations. Read more: http://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/gwp-cee-in-action/news-and-activities/Multi-disciplinary-alliances-key-to-prepare-for-and-respond-to-droughts/ Water Use Efficiency in Barbados Twenty practitioners from the Agriculture Sector in Barbados had the opportunity to be trained in Water Use Efficiency at a workshop put on by the GWP Caribbean and its partner, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, on 5-7 September 2012. The workshop was developed by GWP Caribbean to build capacity for improved water management through water use efficiency techniques in agriculture.

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Read more. Also included were field visits to an irrigation water collection pond from which farmers pump water; a trip to the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation and a visit to a farm where participants saw on-farm irrigation practices. The keynote address was given by Mr. Charleston Lucas, Chief Agricultural Officer (Acting) in the Ministry of Agriculture of Barbados. Mr. Lucas explained that optimising water use is critical to agriculture, especially given the high price of food. He cited the significance of irrigation particularly in the dry season to ensure that supply remains stable to keep prices down. Mr. Lucas further highlighted that a major challenge is to minimise water use while at the same time maximising crop output. He explained to workshop participants that improving water use efficiency would allow for water conservation and lower costs; noting production costs in agriculture are high in Barbados which is resulting in low competition with other countries. The workshop by the GWP Caribbean and CARDI was the first in Barbados. Previous workshops have been held in St. Kitts and Jamaica between 2009 and 2011. IWRM for Municipalities in Honduras GWP Honduras together with Fundación Vida and the Association of Municipalities of Honduras (AMHON) coordinated a workshop to train representatives of 25 municipalities of western Honduras on IWRM in the city of Danli, on September 6, 2012. This activity was part of a broader program led by AMHON and the National Forest Conservation Institute (ICF) on the protection of forests. The objective was to impart knowledge on the main concepts of IWRM to increase its use in local settings. Read more. Honduras is bordered by Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. The country’s mountainous terrain and coastal plains are home to almost 8 million people. In 1998 the country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch which was followed by three days of rain that caused landslides and floods, burying towns and killing thousands of people. Many of the rural communities were devastated. The hurricane caused $58 million in damages and left 75% of the country without safe drinking water. The service quality in Honduras is low compared to other countries in Latin America. In 2006, only 75% of the drinking water in urban areas was disinfected and 10% of the wastewater that was collected received treatment. In the rural areas, however, many of the communities have water systems, but the water from these systems often does not meet government quality and quantity standards. 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. The National Congress, after a broad consultation process supported by GWP Central America, approved a new national water law in 2009. The IWRM workshop in September included a presentation and discussion on IWRM, the recently approved National Water Law and economic tools that can be used at a local level to implement IWRM. Relevant material, including a copy of the National Water Law, was handed out during the workshop.

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20 Years of Water Cooperation in Central Asia To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) among Central Asian countries, a Central Asian International Research and Practice Conference took place 20-21 September 2012 in Almaty to discuss past experience and future challenges of water cooperation in the region. GWP Central Asia and Caucasus, which celebrated its 10 years at the conference, has been instrumental in regional water cooperation and took active part in the conference. The most challenging issues in the Caucasus are poor water supply and sanitation, degradation of ecosystems, floods and, in some areas, water scarcity. Transboundary issues are common to all CACENA countries. Read more. Over the years, cooperation between the countries has had an important impact on the management of water resources which was highlighted by several speakers. A presentation by Nariman Kipshakbaiev, Chair of GWP Kazakhstan and a former Kazakh minister of water resources and one of the founders of the ICWC, provided a complex assessment of strengths and weaknesses of transboundary cooperation. Prof. Kipshakbaev demonstrated expectations from previous Aral Sea Basin Programs which for different reasons were not fully achieved. He suggested directions for future activities which could find political support and commitment in 2012-2016. Three round tables after the plenary sessions were devoted to improvements of legal instruments for cooperation, implementation of IWRM, and a session led by GWP Central Asia and Caucasus with Coordinator Vadim Sokolov as the moderator on water and energy security in Central Asia. Presentations included:

• Presentation of the model Basin Economic Allocation Model (BEAM) which aims to explore whether it may be possible to change existing water allocation patterns in ways that enhance overall welfare in the Aral Sea Basin. Mr. Sorokin presented different scenarios of water allocation across time and space to different uses (with five economic sectors assessed) so that the economic value of water use is maximized. The BEAM model centers around the three Es (effectiveness, efficiency and equity) when dealing with the allocation of water. The main client of the BEAM model is the International Fund for Aral Sea Saving (IFAS) for supporting future investments in the basin.

• Analysis of legal instruments to implement IWRM in the Aral Basin • Specifics of practical IWRM implementation in Uzbekistan • Overview of GWP activities in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan • Transboundary cooperation in Kura-Araks basin in Caucasus • Results from the Astana process – contribution of IWRM in green growth • Dissemination of knowledge on IWRM through the GWP Network • New Geo-Information system in Kazakhstan presented by a private company

IWRM in Education in Central Africa In October 2009 Central Africa adopted a Regional Water Policy. Within the Secretariat of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) a unit responsible for coordinating the management of water resources was created. Now, focus has been put on the importance of establishing a culture of IWRM in Central Africa to support sustainable development. GWP Central

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Africa has emphasized the important role that education plays in behaviour change, and has now been asked to develop a strategy on integrating IWRM training in the educational systems of countries in the region. Read more. The overall objective is to develop a strategy for the integration of courses on IWRM with a proposal of modules and courses related to the education systems of Central Africa. More specifically, GWP Central Africa will conduct a study which aims to:

• Make an inventory of the training on IWRM in the educational systems of Central Africa; • Develop course content modules or courses on IWRM in countries of ECCAS; • Develop a strategy for integrating IWRM training in curricula.

On 12-13 September, a workshop on the Dublin Principles and the importance of IWRM for Central African NGOs involved in the water sector was held in Bangui, Central Africa Republic. Organized by GWP Central African Republic, the workshop brought together NGOs and national CSOs partners of GWP-RCA. The University of Bangui was also present to the workshop. The workshop's main objective was to strengthen the capacity of CSOs and NGOs on the importance of IWRM in the socio-economic development of a nation, to ensure their greater involvement in the implementation of government policy and effective dissemination of information on the tools, principles and practices of integrated management of water resources at local, regional and national levels. Participants made the following recommendations:

• Continue to strengthen the capacity of CSOs and NGOs on issues related to IWRM; • Establish a mechanism for monitoring and evaluation of the actions developed on IWRM; • Integrate the IWRM approach in the education system.

IWRM for the Nile Basin The Nile Council of Ministers meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, on 5 July 2012, commended GWP Eastern Africa’s “Bugesera Transboundary Project” implemented in the framework of the GWP managed “Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) in Africa”, and “Adapting to Climate Change Induced Water Stress in the Nile River Basin”, a SIDA-UNEP funded project. The two projects are designed to contribute towards addressing critical water security issues and climate resilience challenges in the Nile River Basin and Eastern Africa Community by demonstrating solutions at national and community levels. Read more: http://www.gwp.org/en/WACDEP/NEWS-AND-EVENTS/News-Archive/Nile-Council-of-Ministers-Commended-GWPEA-Progress/ Young boys from Czech republic win Danube Art Master 2012 The annual International Danube Art Master competition is organized by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) and GWP Central and Eastern Europe. The winner is selected from the winners of national 'Danube Art Master' competitions in 14 Danube Basin countries, involving thousands of children. The Dalibor Urban and Jakub Vávra, Elementary Art School Jedovnice of the Czech Republic won this year’s prize for “Rivers 2021!” Read more:

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http://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/gwp-cee-in-action/news-and-activities/Danube-Art-Master-2012-Czech-Republic-wins-the-competition/ Commitment Towards Water Sustainability Strengthened in Chile The Second Water Sustainability Summit was held 27 September 2012 in Chile and gathered more than 900 people. It brought together national key players and international experts to discuss actions towards national water sustainability. The meeting was held simultaneously in five cities: Iquique, Arica, La Serena, Santiago, and Concepción, and was partially broadcast via streaming. GWP Chile supported the event, organized by the National Irrigation Commission of the Ministry of Agriculture of Chile (CNR) and the Latin American Association of Groundwater Development - Chilean Chapter (ALHSUD). Read more. GWP South America shared its knowledge and experience through presentations and dissemination of technical publications. Maria Luisa Baltra, Chair of GWP Chile, encouraged teamwork and stressed the importance of Integrated Water Resources Management to achieve good results. Chile’s main actors on water affairs, including national authorities, signed a symbolic commitment to water care. The Summit revealed that the country is joining forces to work with a holistic view that transcends sectors. It is in this way that GWP Chile, with the support of GWP South America, will contribute to strengthen Chile’s effort towards integrated and sustainable water management in the coming years. GWP South America participated in two of the main cities: Santiago and Concepción. In Santiago, Maria Luisa Baltra, Chair of GWP Chile and representative of Gabriela Mistral University, presented the purpose of the Global Water Partnership and its work around the globe and stressed the importance of IWRM to achieve sustainability. She introduced GWP Chile and urged to work together at country level. Referring to attaining progress, Maria Luisa expressed "It's a slow walk, but we must work together as a team." She subsequently presented GWP Chile’s main lines of work: the water shortage situation in the country, communication and report on water affairs, drought effects on the development of economic activities and the analysis of the results of Chile’s water resources management assessment conducted by the World Bank. Afterwards, María Luisa Baltra participated in a round of questions from the audience, together with the French panelist Paul Haener, specialist from the International Water Office (OIE) of France. Relating to water in glaciers and the Antarctica, she clarified that although Chile is present in the latter, it cannot rely on its natural resources freely because the Antarctic Treaty, now in force for more than 50 years, seeks the protection of the frozen continent. She also highlighted Chile’s need to regulate and discuss basin management, a topic in which, she believes, experiences from other countries should be observed. Meanwhile, in Concepcion, a city in southern Chile which had a turnout of about 150 people, the Chair of GWP South America and GWP Venezuela, Zoila Martinez, presented the recent case of the Basins Directorate of Carabobo State in Venezuela, which aims at managing the conservation of basins through public participatory policies focused on environmental education and sustainable development. Besides sharing its knowledge and experience through presentations, GWP South America also disseminated technical publications and informative material through its booth in the capital city of Chile, Santiago.

A symbolic commitment to water care was signed at the summit by the Minister of Public Works, the Sub-secretary of Finance, the Sub-secretary of Environment, the Executive Secretary of the National

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Irrigation Commission and the Chairs of the unions of the Production and Trade Confederation, the Chilean Chamber of Construction, the National Society of Agriculture, the Chair of the Association of Irrigation and Drainage, the Chair of the Latin American Association of Groundwater Development- Chilean Chapter (ALHSUD) and a representative of the legislative body of Chile. Climate Change for Bangladesh

To increase awareness about key critical issues related to climate change challenges that Bangladesh is likely to face in the future, a training on “Climate Change Adaptation” was organized by the Institute of Water Modeling (IWM) and GWP Bangladesh, on 23-25 September 2012 in Dhaka. The training included a site visit to the Saidabad Surface Water Treatment Plant where participants learnt about the treatment processes and long-term challenges related to water supply to the megacity.

Read more.

The greater Dhaka Area has a population of 17 million, putting pressure on the water management of the city. It is the fastest growing city in the world and effects of climate change will make water management even more difficult. Only two-thirds of households in Dhaka are served by the city water supply system. More than 9.7 million tons of solid wastes are produced in Dhaka each year.

The 11 trainees came from different organizations: Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA), Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC), Water Resources & Planning Organization (WARPO), Department of Environment (DOE), NGO-Forum, etc. Given the diverse background, there were lively discussions and debates about the issues.

The trainers were local and international experts from different disciplines: engineering, economics, public health, etc. Topics of training sessions included: Climate Change – what is it?; Climate Change Adaptation – Global Perspective; Climate Change Economics; Climate Change and Urban Planning; Climate Change and Coastal Adaptation; Climate Change and Urban Flooding; and other topics.

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Meet Our Partners GWP is a network of more than 2,600 institutional Partners. Watch video interviews with a few of our Partners: http://www.gwp.org/en/About-GWP/Partners/Voices-from-the-GWP-Network/ Read more about the benefits of being a GWP Partner. Get involved. Join our network! New GWP Partners in October 2012 New GWP Partners – link to web page with list/links Follow GWP and Join Us To hear about new publications and other news before it is published in NewsFlow, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and subscribe to our blog. Social Media logos ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GWP in the news Nine Caribbean Ministers Sign Declaration for Addressing Regional Water Security Anguilla News Caribbean 360 The Bahamas Weekly The Bahamas Weekly Blog Bernama The Nassau Guardian Topic World St. Kitts and Nevis Govt Special tillage can also eliminate the effects of drought (Slovak Press Agency (TASR) Practitioners in the Agriculture Sector in Barbados to be Trained in Water Use Efficiency West African Governments cautioned against impacts of mining Ghana News Agency Ouagadougou hosts GWP/IUCN workshop for West African journalists (Spy Ghana) More articles in our Press Room. GWP IWRM ToolBox GWP from South America (Venezuela) developed and shared with ToolBox the case study No. 426 regarding application of participatory approaches in watershed management. English and Spanish available! http://gwptoolbox.org/index.php?option=com_case&id=314&Itemid=43

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The report on IWRM ToolBox workshop with university lecturers is also available at the section: What is new? http://gwptoolbox.org/index.php?option=com_news Coming events 29 Oct -2 Nov 2012, Water and Health Conference: Science, Policy, and Innovation, Chapell Hill NC, United States of America 5-7 Nov 2012, International Conference on Fresh Water Governance for Sustainable Development, Drakensberg, South Africa 9 Nov 2012, UEA Water Security/ICID seminar: Irrigation policy in a time of drought and high food prices, London, UK 13-14 Nov 2012, Cities in a Changing Climate - Financing adaptation and mitigation in the urban context of developing countries and emerging economies, Main, Germany 21-22 Nov 2012, Interactions of Water with Energy and Materials in Urban Areas and Agriculture, IWRM, Karlsruhe, Germany 26 Nov – 7 Dec 2012, 2012 UN Climate Change Conference COP18, Doha, Qatar 28- 30 Nov2012, Sixth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Water Convention, Rome, Italy 28-30 Nov, 2012, VIth World Aqua Congress - Water: Vision 2050- International Conference on Water, New Delhi, India 16-20 March, 2013 Transboundary water management across borders and interfaces: present and future challenges, Aveiro, Portugal New Resources GWP article on The Economic Impact of Water Scarcity (free but registration required) Water Management, Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in Developing Economies Water and Energy: Threats and Opportunities (IWA Publishing) Water Services Management and Governance (IWA Publishing) Making Space for the River (IWA Publishing) Sustainable Water Ecosystems Management in Europe (IWA Publishing) Flood Risk and Social Justice (IWA Publishing) Impacts of Climate Change on Rainfall Extremes and Urban Drainage Systems (IWA Publishing) Meeting the Water Reform Challenge (OECD)

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International Green Awards, for the Most Sustainable Large Corporate The Sustainable Water Resource Handbook Volume 3 About water Water Footprint Assessment Tool AMCEN guidebook Addressing Climate Change Challenges in Africa: A Practical Guide towards Sustainable Development Calls Slogan Contest for the International Year of Water Cooperation 2013, deadline 15 Nov 2012 The STARS Impact Awards International Green Awards Call for Abstracts 5th Delft Symposium on Water Sector Capacity Development

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GWP Regions

CARIBBEAN Activities Practitioners in the Agriculture Sector in Barbados Trained in Water Use Efficiency Twenty (20) practitioners from the Agriculture Sector in Barbados, recently had the opportunity to be trained in the area of Water Use Efficiency (WUE) at a workshop put on by the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) and its partner, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). The workshop which took place in Barbados from September 5th - 7th, 2012, was developed by GWP-C to build capacity for improved water management through the application of water use efficiency techniques in agriculture in the Caribbean. A short opening ceremony preceded the start of the workshop which included remarks by Ms. Avril Alexander, Regional Coordinator of GWP-C and representatives from the CARDI. The feature address was given by Mr. Charleston Lucas, Chief Agricultural Officer (Acting) in the Ministry of Agriculture of Barbados. Mr. Lucas in his address, stressed that there can be no food security without land and water security. Additionally, he drew on the relation between world hunger and the inability of persons to grow their own food. He explained that optimising water use is critical to agriculture, especially given the high price of food. He cited the great significance of irrigation particularly in the dry season to ensure production levels (supply) remain stable to keep prices down. Mr. Lucas further highlighted that a major challenge is to minimise water use while at the same time maximising crop output. He explained to workshop participants that improving water use efficiency would allow for water conservation and lower costs; noting production costs in agriculture are high in Barbados which is resulting in low competition with other countries. Following the opening ceremony, participants were very motivated to embark on their three-day training exercise. The workshop’s format allowed for discussions among participants and facilitators of the course who were Mr. Stanley Rampair, a Senior Irrigation Consultant and Dr. Leslie Simpson, Natural Resources Management Specialist at the CARDI. Additionally, the course included various group exercises to promote interaction and critical thinking. At the workshop, participants received comprehensive training in the areas of soil/water relationships, irrigation, and water use efficiency for the agriculture sector. Also included in the workshop were field visits to an irrigation water collection pond from which farmers pump water; a

Participants are seen here during group exercises at the Water Use Efficiency (WUE) in Agriculture

workshop.

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trip to the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC); and a visit to a farm where participants saw on-farm irrigation practices. Scenes from the Field Visits An evaluation conducted at the end of the workshop indicated that all participants felt that the training received was relevant to their work and improved their understanding of the importance of water use efficiency in the agriculture sector. Also critical to the evaluation was the feedback from the agriculture practitioners on how the training course could be enhanced. GWP-C will use the valuable feedback received from the WUE training in Barbados to continue to work to improve the training course for the region. The WUE workshop carried out by the GWP-C and the CARDI was the first in Barbados. Previous instalments of the workshop have been held in St. Kitts and Jamaica between 2009 and 2011. Participants that successfully completed the three-day course were awarded a certificate on the last day of the workshop.

Pond with irrigation water

Farmer is seen here turning on his irrigation

system to demonstrate to the workshop

participants.

Irrigation water storage facility

One of the workshop’s facilitators, Mr. Rampair

is seen here discussing aspects of irrigation with

workshop participants on the field trip.

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Immediate Outcomes:

News of the Water Use Efficiency (WUE) workshop and excerpts of the opening ceremony was featured on local television news stations in Barbados.

Follow-up Action:

GWP-C will conduct a Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) exercise in six months to assess further outcomes of the training.

Caribbean University Lecturers Gain Valuable Insights on IWRM In August, sixteen (16) lecturers and researchers from universities across the globe gathered in Stockholm, Sweden for the first Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Knowledge Centres workshop. The workshop which was put on by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) Organisation sought to build a working relationship between GWP Partner universities and to explore how the IWRM ToolBox could be used in the academic environment of universities to support the teaching of water

Workshop participants are presented with their training certificates by Ms. Avril Alexander, Regional

Coordinator of GWP-C (Photo 1) and Dr. Leslie Simpson, Natural Resources Management Specialist

at the CARDI and of the workshop’s facilitators.

2

University lecturers and researchers at the first Integrated Water Resources

Management (IWRM) Knowledge Centres Workshop in Stockholm, Sweden.

1

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resources management. It was felt that the IWRM ToolBox could be better positioned in university curricula by providing hands-on training on the resource to the practitioners in the field. Impetus to develop the workshop was also sparked by an IWRM ToolBox Survey carried out by the GWP earlier in the year which illustrated that more use could be made of the valuable resource. Amongst the 16 representatives chosen to attend the global workshop were three university lectures from the Caribbean region. They included Dr. Adrian Cashman, Lecturer at the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) based at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados; Dr. Riad Nurmohamed, Lecturer at the Anton De Kon University of Suriname; and Dr. Arpita Mandal, Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Management at The UWI Mona Campus in Jamaica. According to Dr. Cashman, the workshop took stock of how IWRM was being presented in universities and at what level (graduate or post-graduate); as well as what aspects of IWRM were or were not being addressed.

Presentations by participants giving examples of university programmes and courses in water resource management were made by participants from West Africa, South East Asia, the Caribbean, China and Europe. Dr. Adrian Cashman gave the presentation for the Caribbean region providing an overview of the water courses and programmes at The UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados.

Dr. Cashman stated that from the sharing of experiences and programmes in various regions it was clear that a very wide variety of approaches have been adopted across the globe. According to him, it was also evident that different aspects of IWRM were incorporated into the courses. On the other hand there were also major differences in course content amongst the regions. Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) was able to get feedback on the workshop experience from Dr. Cashman and Dr. Nurmohamed both of whom are members of GWP-C. Here’s some of what they shared about the IWRM ToolBox workshop:

Workshop participants are seen here during

a presentation by one of the region’s

represented on university water

programmes.

Feedback from Dr. Adrian Cashman:

Dr. Cashman felt that the workshop provided an excellent opportunity for the participants to share

their experiences in teaching water resources management and to exchange information. He explained

that the workshop also contributes to the fostering of a community of knowledge and practice and the

building up of personal contacts between academics. He pointed out that GWP has the opportunity

now to use the outcomes from the workshop to feed into its long-term goal of establishing IWRM

Knowledge Centres in national and regional universities and to support specific disciplines. Dr.

Cashman believes that The University of the West Indies (UWI), as a truly regional university is well

placed to play its role in supporting such a centre for the Caribbean.

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GWP-C by working through its partners which include tertiary level institutions plans to support knowledge sharing with such institutions in learning more about the IWRM ToolBox and exploring the possibilities to include the ToolBox as a source of knowledge in its programmes. Caribbean Ministers Commit to Addressing Water Security and Climate Change At the recently concluded 8th High Level Session (HLS) Ministerial Forum put on by the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) and its partner the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA), nine (9) Caribbean Ministers with responsibility for water resources management committed themselves to building a water secure Caribbean. The nine (9) Ministers from The Bahamas, Anguilla, Barbados, Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Jamaica, Nevis, St. Kitts, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines all signed a declaration recognising the importance of ensuring long term water security as a driver for economic and social development and the critical importance of building climate resilience in the region.

Feedback from Dr. Riad Nurmohamed:

Dr. Nurmohamed stated that the workshop provided a unique opportunity to meet specialists in the

field of water but moreover GWP partner universities. He suggested that the IWRM Knowledge

Centres workshop could possibly be organised once every five (5) years so that partner universities

can further discuss and suggest ways to move IWRM and the ToolBox forward. He explained that it

would be useful for the representatives from the universities that attended the workshop to share their

material and to also play a role in building capacity for other university partners that require

assistance in IWRM.

Dr. Nurmohamed stated that a network of universities that use the IWRM ToolBox in the region

should become more visible. He noted that his university (The Anton de Kom University of Suriname)

is making gradual steps in bringing IWRM to the fore at the university and Suriname on a whole.

Currently at the Anton de Kom University, the ToolBox is referenced as an information resource.

Caribbean Ministers and senior government officials with responsibility for water

resources management are seen here with the Executive Secretary of the African

Ministers’ Council on Water, the Global Water Partnership Organisation’s

(GWPO’s) Network Officer for the Caribbean region, the Global Water

Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) Chair, the GWP-C Regional Coordinator,

members of the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA)

Executive Council and regional partners.

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The Ministers at the Forum signed a declaration identifying seven (7) critical areas of concern towards achieving regional water security. The areas identified include water is a development issue, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), climate change and water, wastewater, regional cooperation, capacity building, and public education and awareness. Critical to the approved recommendations coming out of the 8th Forum was the Ministers’ recognition that high-level political leadership is key for meeting water security and climate change challenges faced by Caribbean countries. The issue of building Caribbean resilience to climate change was continuously brought to the fore during the Forum which presented an ideal platform for the GWP-C to share with the Ministers and regional and international partners its plan to launch a Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) for the Caribbean before the end of the year. The WACDEP spearheaded by GWP-C was endorsed by the Ministers of Water who recommended that GWP-C and its partners further develop the Programme and other relevant programmes for the region to support the implementation of water related adaptation actions within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Regional Framework for Achieving Development Resilient to Climate Change. A Ministerial panel discussion took place within the Forum which gave Ministers an opportunity to share their perspectives on national and regional priorities for water security in their respective countries as well as regional resource coordination at the Ministerial level. Some of the main issues in their discussions were the need for greater focus on IWRM; disaster risk reduction; closer integration of the water sector with other sectors; access to water; water tariffs; the need for more water experts in the region; raising water conservation consciousness at the national and regional level; exploring the use of water technologies to control resources; the use of rainwater harvesting as a mitigation practice; water’s impact on health; climate change and water security; among other issues. Despite varying national priorities on water amongst the Ministers, there was a consensus that similar water resource challenges are faced in their respective countries and a clear means of moving forward on these issues should be decided.

Caribbean Ministers at the 8th High Level Session (HLS) are seen here signing the

declaration, endorsing key recommendations for addressing regional water security

and climate change.

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A feature presentation was given by Mr. Bai-Mass Taal, Executive Secretary of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and Former Secretary of State for Fisheries and Water in The Gambia. Mr. Taal, a renowned environment and water specialist and having occupied several top government appointments in The Gambia provided valuable knowledge to the Caribbean Ministers present, on Ministerial Coordination on Water in Africa.

Mr. Taal pointed out the similarity in issues raised in the HLS when compared to water and related issues in Africa. He explained that the AMCOW was formed by Ministers in Africa to give them the autonomy to speak about various issues for themselves. He urged the Ministers present to move to a higher level in addressing water resources issues. He pledged the support of the AMCOW to provide guidance to the Caribbean region in sharing their experiences in working together as a Ministerial unit to ensure water security.

Caribbean Ministers present at the 8th HLS acknowledged the support and willingness of the AMCOW in providing guidance to the region and agreed to take into consideration lessons from the AMCOW and other entities. Ministers through informed technical inputs from national, regional and international organisations deemed it imperative for Caribbean governments in collaboration with regional partners to conduct national assessments on the status of IWRM implementation in the Caribbean and keep the implementation of IWRM under continuous review. Some of the regional and international organisations that contributed to the HLS included the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management (CReW) Project, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), among other entities. The recommendations coming out of the 8th HLS were signed on October 5th, 2012 by the Honourable Philip E. Brave Davis, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development of The Bahamas; the Honourable Evans Gumbs, Minister for Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries of Anguilla; Dr. The Honourable David Estwick, Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management of Barbados; the Honourable Margarito Gaspar Vega, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Agriculture of Belize; the Honourable Reginald Austrie, Minister of Lands, Housing, Settlements and Water Resource Management of the Commonwealth of Dominica; the Honourable Robert Pickersgill, Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change of Jamaica; the Honourable Carlisle Powell, Minister of Communications, Works, Public Utilities, Post, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Environment of Nevis; Dr. The Honourable Earl Asim Martin, Minister of Housing, Public Works, Energy and Public Utilities of St. Kitts; and the Honourable Clayton Burgin, Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Mr. Bai-Mass Taal, Executive Secretary of the

African Ministers’ Council on Water

(AMCOW) is seen here giving a feature

presentation at the 8th High Level Session

(HLS) Ministerial Forum.

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Follow-up Action:

Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) and its partner the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) will report on the progress of the recommendations coming out of the 8th HLS at the next forum in 2013.

GWP-C Works Together to Strengthen its Programme The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) held its 17th Steering Committee (SC) Meeting in The Bahamas on October 3rd, 2012. The Meeting gave SC members the opportunity to review the implementation of activities for 2012 and provide inputs into the GWP-C work programme and budget for 2013. Members were able to provide strategic advice on current and future areas in the GWP-C work programme as well as provide follow-up recommendations on actions arising out of the previous SC meeting. The SC looked closely at a broad range of areas which included inputs into the development of GWP-C’s Water, Climate and Development (WACDEP) Programme for the Caribbean and upcoming Consultation workshop; finalising the GWP-C Operational Guidelines; among other areas. Activities of Partners Suriname Makes Strides in Building Capacity on Integrated Water Resources Management Suriname is on its way to making a greater impact in building capacity on Integrated Water Resources

Management (IWRM) in the country. These efforts stem from the recent signing of two major projects within the framework of the 10th European Development African Caribbean and Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Water Facility Programme during the period of August to September 2012.

Members of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) Steering

Committee (SC) and the GWP-C Secretariat at the 17th SC Meeting on

October 3rd, 2012 in The Bahamas.

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The two projects which include capacity building for IWRM in Nickerie and capacity building in drinking water supply; will both span four (4) years with an estimated budget of 950,000 Euros.

The area of Nickerie in western Suriname produces rice and bananas for local consumption and export to the Caribbean region and EU countries. Insufficient irrigation of fresh surface water from swamps and rivers, poor management of the current water resources systems, as well as climate variability are threatening the fresh water resources and increasing pressure on the water resources management of the

Nickerie district. The objective of the project in Nickerie is to develop good water management strategies via the establishment of a water platform, development of awareness and training programmes, water quality monitoring, and knowledge sharing. The major partners in this project are the Overliggend Waterschap Multipurpose Corantijn Project (OW-MCP), Wereld Waternet and Waterschap Rijn en IJsel. The OW-MCP is a partner of the Suriname Water Resources Information System (SWRIS), a project spearheaded by Global Water Partnership-Caribbean’s (GWP-C) partner the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. The second project will take place in the coastal area of Suriname. According to statistics from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), around 73% of the population of about 500, 000 inhabitants in Suriname have access to drinking water. This is mainly the half of the population living in the greater Paramaribo area, which is the capital and largest city in Suriname. However, for the other half of the population living in major parts of the coastal zone and inland, the situation is less favorable. Those citizens on the coastal areas live under harsh conditions with little or no access to safe drinking water. Only part of the connected households in the present supply area of the Suriname Water Supply Company (SWM) the national water provider of Suriname, receive running water. This problem is caused by sub-optimal water pressure in large parts of the region and uncontrolled use of water, non-revenue water and/or discontinued distribution causing shortages of water in other parts. Furthermore, the distribution systems in all areas are compromised by poor maintenance, water theft, and leakages. This results in pump breakdowns, low pressure, intermittent supply, and high potential for contamination. The absence of a comprehensive water quality monitoring program does not allow for this problem to be appropriately addressed. In addition, the poor quality of the drinking water is caused by pollution and salt water intrusion to the groundwater which is mostly used as a source of potable water. This problem is increasingly threatening groundwater resources. The SWM has not had a tariff increase since 2004; and the organisation operates in a deficit.

Project partners and other representatives

are seen here at the Project signing in

Suriname.

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In Suriname, the policy of the Ministry of Natural Resources with regard to drinking water is to create a safe and sustainable water supply to at least 95% of the population. Therefore the objectives of the project are:

To improve efficiency in management practices and system maintenance of the water treatment and distribution network by the SWM.

To improve water resources protection to secure safe, healthy and sustainable drinking water services by the SWM.

To improve water quality testing and analysis by the SWM; and awareness-raising on drinking water supply.

The Anton de Kom University of Suriname (Department of Infrastructure) is one of the main partners on this project. Other partners include NV Surinaamsche Waterleiding Maatschappij, Stichting Fonds Ontwikkeling Binnenland, itens-Evides International (VEI) and Stichting Bureau voor de Dienstverlening as well as various non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Grenada’s Water Authority Assists School with Water Storage Facilities Prior to the start of the new school term in September 2012, the National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) of Grenada provided assistance to the St. Joseph’s Convent Secondary School with the installation of a new water pump on the school’s compound. This effort by the NAWASA is embodied in the organisation’s commitment to delivering a safe, adequate and reliable water supply to the Grenadian population.

The new pump system will pump water from an existing 8000 gallon water tank at the school. To make the installation possible, the NAWASA provided labour which included excavation, masonry work, laying of electrical cables, pipeline connection from the pump to the storage tank and road reinstatement. All materials for the project were provided by the St. Joseph’s Convent school.

Project Manager and Assistant Manager of the NAWASA’s Production and Quality Department, Mr. Allison Neptune has commended the school’s Management for taking the initiative in ensuring the provision of clean water, proper sanitation and good hygiene. He stated that this forms a solid foundation for a student’s health and education with a direct correlation to improvement in the community’s health standards. The project is expected to alleviate shortages which resulted in students being sent home because the school had no existing water storage facility.

For more information on the water projects, contact Dr. Riad Nurmohamed (GWP-C Member) and

GWP-C partner representative for the Anton de Kom University of Suriname at

riad.nurmohamed@uvs.edu.

An employee of the National Water and Sewerage

Authority (NAWASA) is seen here ensuring that the

pumping system is well connected.

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Environmental NGOs in Trinidad and Tobago Discuss Forming an Action Network The Caribbean Institute of Sustainability (CIS) in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) for the Caribbean region hosted its inaugural information and networking meeting on September 12th, 2012 for groups and organisations in Trinidad and Tobago concerned with environmental sustainability. The meeting successfully brought together more than twenty (20) environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and groups each with varying functions yet all with the common purpose of building a sustainable Trinidad and Tobago. Moreover, it provided a unique opportunity for the NGOs to share with each other a bit about their activities and more importantly discuss how they could work together to make a greater impact on the environmental arena. The main objective of the meeting therefore was to discuss the prospect of establishing a network of environmental NGOs in Trinidad and Tobago that would provide a unified voice for such agencies operating out of the country. There were varied views on the proposition of an environmental network, mainly due to the fact that some agencies may have similar priorities while this may not hold for others. However, there were commonalities amongst the groups on issues such as fundraising, influencing policy/getting buy-in from decision makers on various environmental issues, environmental lobbying, amongst other areas. The environmental agencies agreed that further discussions should be held on the possible development of an environmental action network. The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) was among the agencies represented at the meeting spearheaded by its partner, the CIS. Following the information and networking meeting held on September 12th, 2012, a Summit of Environmental NGOs took place on October 7th, 2012 to follow-up on the development of a network of NGOs and to address the major issues raised at the networking meeting. Follow-up Actions:

GWP-C will follow-up on decisions taken at the Summit to determine how it may be able to contribute to these decisions in keeping with its goals.

Upcoming Events GWP-C to Launch Regional Water and Climate Change Programme The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) will soon launch its Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) for the Caribbean. The launch is scheduled to take place in November at a regional workshop convened by the GWP-C that will bring together key regional partners that will contribute to the programme’s development.

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CENTRAL AFRICA CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP FOR CENTRAL AFRICAN NGOS INVOLVED IN THE WATER SECTOR ON THE PRINCIPLES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IWRM. (Bangui, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, 12 and 13 September 2012) Organized by the Central African Republic country Water Partnership, the workshop brought together NGOs and national CSOs partners of GWP-RCA. The University of Bangui was also present to the workshop. The workshop's main objective was to strengthen the capacity of CSOs and NGOs on the importance of IWRM in the socio-economic development of a nation, to ensure their greater involvement in the implementation of government policy and effective dissemination of information on the tools, principles and practices of integrated management of water resources at local, regional and national levels. This workshop provided an opportunity to provide participants with knowledge of the principles of IWRM and its importance in the socio-economic development of a country, Create a renewed commitment of CSOs and NGOs for the development of IWRM, Define future actions to implement. Participants made the following recommendations: - continue to strengthen the capacity of CSOs and NGOs on issues related to IWRM; - establish a mechanism for monitoring and evaluation of the actions developed on IWRM; - integrate IWRM approach in the education system. DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGY FOR THE INTEGRATION OF IWRM IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN CENTRAL AFRICA Central Africa has adopted in October 2009 a Regional Water policy. Within the ECCAS Secretariat, an unit responsible for coordinating the management of water resources was created. Beyond the impact of these actions on the water sector in the region, it is important to establish a culture of IWRM in Central Africa to sustain the development of the sector. For this reason the GWP-CAf, given the important role that education plays in behavior change, is developing a strategy for integration training on IWRM in the educational systems of countries in the region. The overall objective is to develop a strategy for the integration of courses on IWRM with a proposal of modules and courses related to the education systems of Central Africa. More specifically, the study aims to: • Make an inventory of the situation of training on IWRM in the educational systems of the countries of Central Africa; • Develop course content modules or courses on IWRM in the educational systems of the countries of ECCAS; • Develop a strategy for the integration of training modules or courses on IWRM in the curricula of educational systems in the countries of Central Africa. The terms of reference of this strategy have been developed by a consultant recruited by the GWP-CAf. The strategy should be developed in the work plan 2013 of GWP-CAf. CENTRAL AMERICA Workshop on IWRM for municipalities in Honduras

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GWP Honduras together with Fundación Vida and the Association of Municipalities of Honduras (AMHON) coordinated a workshop to train representatives of 25 municipalities of western Honduras on IWRM. The event took place in the city of Danli, on September 6th 2012. This activity was part of a broader program lead by AMHON and the National Forest Conservation Institute (ICF) on the protection of forests in western Honduras. The objective of the workshop was to impart knowledge on the main concepts of IWRM to increase its use in local settings. The workshop included a presentation and discussion on IWRM, the recently approved National Water Law and economic tools that can be used at a local level to implement IWRM. Relevant material, including a copy of the National Water Law was handed out during the workshop. AMHON is a network that includes the 298 municipalities that exist in the country and the Association has expressed interest in replicating the workshop in other areas of Honduras. GWP Honduras has planned to continue supporting this process. Photos at: http://www.gwp.org/es/GWP-Centroamerica/NOTICIAS/GIRH-en-las-municipalidades-de-Honduras/ Development of a Water Agenda to 2030 in Costa Rica On the 6th of September, the water sector in Costa Rica participated in a high level event that marked the launching of the process for the elaboration of a national Water Agenda to 2030. GWP Costa Rica will be a valuable ally in the development of the Agenda, with its network of experts and partners from the different sectors, which will help guarantee an integrated and sustainable Agenda for years to come. The Agenda will include long term priority actions necessary for the State to guarantee water for the present and future generations. The Water Agenda is part of the process in the pilot project for the improvement on wateravailability in Costa Rica, financed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Costa Rica is one of three countries who have been chosen, the other two being Oman and the Philippines and the objective of the project is to build capacity at the national level in the compilation, management and interpretation of data on water resources and in the use of advanced techniques to improve resource management. Photos at: http://www.gwp.org/es/GWP-Centroamerica/NOTICIAS/Agenda-del-Agua-en-Costa-Rica/ Regional IWRM and Climate Change workshop The Trainers Alliance in coordination with GWP Central America organized a regional workshop on IWRM and Climate Change adaptation, which took place from the 10-14 of September. The workshop included an online phase and finalized with a week in the Pan-American Agricultural School (El Zamorano) in Honduras. The objective of the course was to identify policies, strategies and management tools that are functional and successful in the promotion of IWRM in regards to the adaptation to climate change, at the local, national and regional levels. Participants came from all the countries of the region and included representatives from the government, universities, and civil society. Some of the topics discussed include the status of the water resources in the region, the management challenges and processes, the harmonization of regional and national policies on IWRM and climate change, the impact of climate change on water resources, IWRM as an alternative in climate change adaptation, the integrated risk management, and local adaptation mechanisms. The instructors included Nabil Kawas, Chair for GWP Honduras and Fabiola Tábora, Regional Coordinator.

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The Trainers Alliance includes five regional academic institutions, Tropical Agricultural Research and Training Center (CATIE), INCAE Business School, Zamorano, and the Honduran National Forest Sciences School (ESNACIFOR), supported by the German International Cooperation (GIZ). These institutions have developed a series of multidisciplinary courses on climate change in Central America, with an emphasis on four thematic areas: water, energy, forests and agro-environment; with the transversal topic of risk management and resilience. Photos at: http://www.gwp.org/es/GWP-Centroamerica/NOTICIAS/Estrategias-para-la-GIRH-frente-al-cambio-climatico/ School children and organic garden in Panama As part of the activities to promote the Sustainable Development and IWRM Plan for the Panama Canal basin, GWP Panama supported an exchange among two elementary schools to familiarize the students with organic gardens and basic principles of food security. Both schools are from the local communities of the Panama Canal basin; one of them (Majar School) has an established organic garden and the other (Peñas Blancas School) has an interest in creating a similar project. The event was held with the participation of around 25 people, including students, teachers, parents and representatives of the organizing entities. The organic garden at the Majar School is run by a cooperative of students and haswon an environmental award given by the Agricultural Development Ministry (MIDA) and a local bank (Caja de Ahorro). Photos at: http://www.gwp.org/es/GWP-Centroamerica/NOTICIAS/Intercambio-de-estudiantes-en-Panama/ CHINA 1. GWP China Hebei carried out the on-site study on the implementation of the No.1 Policy Document on Reform and Development in Water Sector Together with Hebei Provincial Association of the Veteran Scientists, GWP China Hebei carried out the on-site study on the implementation of the No.1 Policy Document on Reform and Development in Water Sector issued by the China Central Government in Jan. 2011 from late May to July 2012. They visited 6 cities and 15 counties and had dialogues and meetings with the water users and the relevant local governmental officials discussing about the key water issues and the solutions. After the study, they wrote the report and submitted it to the water department and the Provincial Government for their consideration when making decisions for further actions. It is planned to organize a workshop on this subject at the end of Nov. 2012. The GWP China Hebei also drafted some papers on the issues for the agriculture, rural areas and the farmers for the discussions at the other workshops. 2. Participated the GWP’s annual Consulting Partners Meeting and the Regional Days The GWP’s annual Consulting Partners Meeting and the Regional Days were held from 22 to 26 August 2012 in Stockholm. The delegation of the GWP China participated in all the events and the discussions. Dr. Wang Yuhai, as one of the Panel Members, participated in the workshop on Building Climate Resilience in the World’s Deltas: Managing for effective water solutions held on 26 Aug. during the CP Meeting and also participated in the workshop on the same subject on 29 Aug. during the World Water Week and introduced the experiences on managing the deltas in China.

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Prof. Guan Yiqing from Hohai University and Prof. Cong Zhentao from Qinghua University participated in the meeting on ToolBox on 25 Aug. 2012 and introduced the two universities and expressed the views about the ToolBox as part of the teaching materials for the university students. 3. The Fifth International Yellow River International Forum The Fifth International Yellow River Forum, gathering around 1000 participants from about 60 countries, was held in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan Province, on 24-28 October, 2012 to discuss around the theme of “Ensuring water right of the river’s demand and healthy river basin maintenance”. Mr. Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources and the other representatives addressed at the opening ceremony of the Forum.

The Fifth International Yellow River Forum As the co-sponsor of this forum, the representatives of GWP and GWP China including Mr. Khalid Mohtadullah, Senior Advisor of GWPO, Mr. Dong Zheren, Standing Vice Chair, Mr. Wang Hao, Vice Chair, Mr. Zheng Rugang, Secretary General and Coordinator and Mr. Jiang Yunzhong, Communication Officer of GWP China participated in all related activities. As one of the distinguished guests, Mr. Khalid Mohtadullah together with others from Singapore, Australia, Holland, Romania, and France, European Commission, WWF and other organizations was met by Minister Chen Lei on Sept. 25, 2012. During the meeting, Mr. Khalid Mohtadullah briefed about cooperation between GWP and the water sector in China and then expressed the wish of strengthening the cooperation and exchanges between the two parties in the future. During the Forum, the representatives from GWP and GWP China mainly participated in the three thematic sessions on River Health and Environmental Flow, Water Governance and Stewardship and Management Tools and New Technology. On behalf of GWP China, Dr. Dong Zheren was invited to give a speech with the tile of Progress of River Restoration in China at the River Health and Environmental Flow Session.

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Dr. Dong Zheren addressed on the water governance and steward thematic session As one of the co-organizers of the Water Governance and Stewardship Thematic Session, Dr. Dong Zheren, delivered the opening address, Mr. Zheng Rugang, gave a closing address, Mr. Khlaid Mohtadullah chaired one section of the session. Mr. Wang Hao commented technically on the two new books at the launch ceremony and Mr.Jia Yangwen, member of GWP China Technical Committee gave a presentation on river basin water management. During the Session of Management Tools and New Technology, Dr. Jiang Yunzhong was invited to make a speech on Discussion on Intelligent Regulation Technology Architecture for River Basin Based on Internet of Things. Moreover, GWP Chin showcased its activities and achievements on integrated water resources management through the international water exhibitions held during the forum, which has gained widespread concerned and favorable comments. CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE Regional workshop on Integrated Drought Management A regional workshop on Integrated Drought Management was held in Bratislava at Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute on 5-6 October 2012. It was a join initiative of Global Water Partnership Central and Eastern Europe (GWP CEE), GWP Technical Committee and World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The main objective of the workshop was to formulate and commit to the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) initiative. Prior to the workshop, several Country Water Partnerships conducted consultation meetings with key stakeholders. http://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/gwp-cee-in-action/news-and-activities/Addressing-Drought-Management-by-an-Integrated-Approach/

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Presentations http://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/gwp-cee-in-action/news-and-activities/Addressing-Drought-Management-by-an-Integrated-Approach/Presentations/ Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwpcee/sets/72157631743388773/ Media News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR) http://www.hlavnespravy.sk/mzp-sr-aj-specialna-orba-moze-eliminovat-dopady-sucha/35410/ Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute http://www.shmu.sk/sk/?page=1741 Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic http://www.minzp.sk/tlacovy-servis/tlacove-spravy/tlacove-spravy-2012/tlacove-spravy-otktober-2012/aj-specialna-orba-moze-eliminovat-dopady-sucha.htm GWP CEE Secretariat organized regular meeting of Regional Council on 8-9 September in Bratislava. Out of 12 countries, 11 participated along with Integrated Drought Management and Danube Strategies Task Force leaders. Director of Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (GWP CEE host institute) participated in introduction and discussion about Integrated Drought Management Workshop. International winner of Danube Art Master competition was selected in September. The winning piece of art is Rivers 2021! by Dalibor Urban and Jakub Vávra from Elementary Art School in Jedovnice, Czech Republic. The second place goes to Csilla Németh, Mária Pálfi and Patrik Réger from Lébényi Általános Művelődési Központ in Lébény, Hungary for their artwork The Rubbish – Aquaterrorist. The third place is shared between 2 countries – the first artwork by a group of students from HS Pöchlarn in Pöchlarn, Austria. The second, Snail, Catfish and Owl, was created by Viktória Barthalosová, Monika Sedláková, Alexa Furiová, Alexandra Medeková, Laura Farkas, Katka Csicsaiová, Martin Pilný and Martina Takáčová from Primary School Rozmarínová 1 in Komárno, Slovakia. Danube Art Master 2012: Czech Republic wins the competition http://www.icpdr.org/main/danube-art-master-2012-czech-republic-wins-competition Danube Art Master 2012 http://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-CEE/gwp-cee-in-action/Danube-Art-Master/Danube-Art-Master-2012/

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Rivers 2021! Dalibor Urban and Jakub Vávra, Elementary Art School Jedovnice, Czech Republic Galia Bardarska on behalf of GWP CEE participated in the first Meeting on Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation in Paris on 27-28 September. Ukraine, Paris Municipality and Portugal have been selected for testing a self-evaluation tool “scorecard”. Results of these 3 case studies will be used for evaluation of the draft scorecard which will be then proposed to national administrations as a tool for self assessment of the level of vulnerable and marginal group’s access to water and sanitation. UNECE Equitable access to water and sanitation: http://www.unece.org/env/water/pwh_work/equitable_access.html Jozsef Gayer of GWP Hungary was invited by the Water Framework Directive Working Group of the Association of Environmental Enterprises to deliver a presentation about The Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water on 10 September in Budapest. The presentation focused on the status of the Blueprint after the 3rd European Water Conference and was followed by a discussion about the likely consequences in Hungary. The Association of Environmental Enterprises is preparing a conference in October about the key issues of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The Association invited Jozsef Gayer to become member of the organizing committee and to deliver a lecture about the latest European Union water policy options. A new partner from Hungary joined GWP, the Hungarian Water Utility Association (MaVíz). A sponsor campaign has been launched to secure financial resources for future programs of GWP Hungary. GWP Hungary started preparation of the 2014-2019 Strategy. An outline has been drafted focusing mainly on contributing to the implementation of European Union water regulations considering the upcoming new policy options. Based on invitations received from schools Liviu Nicolae Popescu of GWP Romania distributed GWP publications among teachers specializing in natural sciences, general subjects and coordinators of school curricula. The first school was “Centru de Excelenta Sfanta Vineri” in Ploiesti where GWP Romania delivered 12 sets of 3 volumes each from Children Encyclopedia namely the “Leaving creature from the Black Sea” Volume 2, then “The Fauna from the Danube Delta Biosphere Protected

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Area” Volume 1 “Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles and Mammals” and Volume 2 “Flora and Fauna from Danube Delta Biosphere Protected Area”- Flora and Fishes. The second visited school was “School nr 28 - Nicolae Balcescu” where the program ended with tree plating with teachers and children at the school yard. The last school was “National College Ion Luca Caragiale”, having primary, secondary and college classes. GWP Romania donated 16 sets for the group of professors, plus few sets for the college library. Teachers were informed about online resources of Children Encyclopedia http://www.mmediu.ro/pagina_copiilor.htm, http://www.ddbra.ro/administratia/con-tientizare-i-educa-ie/educatie-pentru-mediu/suport-educational-a714 and also on the www.gwp-romania.ro/publicatii Liviu Nicolae Popescu of GWP Romania participated in “WATACLIC: Water against Climate Change” project workshop financed by European Union LIFE program on 20 September 2012 in Bucharest. The main goal of the workshop was the transfer of knowledge from the project team to authorities, administrations at different levels, decisions makers from municipal administrations etc. The project aim was to improve sustainable water management in the urban areas knowing the effects of climate changes with the shortage of water in different periods. Activities comprised awareness campaign on water saving at home, including the dissemination of information materials, water saving devices in private houses and also presentation of different results obtained by the multiple partners of this project within their different countries. More information in English and also in Romanian http://romania.rec.org/proiecte/200/wataclic_ro GWP Slovenija and Ministry of Agriculture and Environment organized on 14 September the final Danube Art Master 2012 and Water Detective celebration. As the financial resources have been very short this year, we organized a visit to Ljubljana Botanical garden and Tropical glasshouse. All participating schools have been invited and 30 scholars and mentors came to Ljubljana. All participants enjoyed the guided visit, as there are many exotic plants in this more than 200 years old botanical garden. The glasshouse is new, but also very interesting plants are growing there.

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CENTRAL ASIA AND CAUCASUS Conference of 20 years of water cooperation of Central Asian Countries; Experience of the past and future tasks (20-21.9.) The conference consisted of two parts: plenary session (official statements of representatives of 5 countries that are involved in ICWC) and 3 round tables. Although most of countries limited their statements to “celebrating” speeches, some presenters critically assessed 20 years of existence of the cooperation in transboundary basin of Aral Sea. A presentation of Nariman Kipshakbaiev provided for a complex assessment of strengths and weaknesses of transboundary cooperation. Nariman was a Kazakh minister of water resources and one of the founders of the ICWC. Currently, he is a pensioned professor and a Chair of GWP Kazakhstan. In his presentation, Prof. Kipshakbaev demonstrated expectations from previous Aral Sea Basin Programs (ASBP -1, 1995-2001 and ASBP-2, 2002-2009), which by different reasons were not achieved in full. In the second part, he suggested directions for future activities, which should find political support and commitment within the ASBP-3 (2012-2016). Three round tables after the plenary sessions were devoted to improvements of legal instruments of the cooperation, implementation of IWRM in region (the session led by GWP CACENA – moderator Vadim Sokolov), and water and energy security in Central Asia.

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The main purpose of the session on IWRM in Central Asia was to present what is the role of GWP CACENA in IWRM promotion and implementation (in both sub-regions of Central Asia and Caucasus). Presentations included:

- A model BEAM was presented that aims to explore whether it may be possible to change existing water allocation patterns in ways that enhance overall welfare in the Aral sea Basin. Mr. Sorokin presented different scenarios of water allocation across time and space to different uses (5 economic sectors were assessed) so that the economic value of water use is maximized. The BEAM model centers around three E (effectiveness, efficiency and equity) when dealing with allocation of water – these three E`s are very dependent on each other. The main client of the BEAM model is International Fund for Aral Sea Saving (IFAS) to support the future investments in the basin. Integrated operation scenarios are being developed (the project is not yet completed) for existing and potential storage reservoirs in the two main rivers of Aral Sea. The GWP CACENA in a consortium with DHI and COWI companies are the implementer of the project.

- Analysis of legal instruments to implement IWRM in Aral Basin – a comparative study with recommendations presented by Mr. Igor Petrakov from Kazakhstan

- Specifics of practical IWRM implementation in Uzbekistan (Sh. Rakhimov) - Overview of GWP activities in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan - Transboundary cooperation in Kura-Araks basin in Caucasus (N. Chkobadze) - Results from Astana process – contribution of IWRM in green growth (B. Yesekin) - Dissemination of knowledge on IWRM through the GWP Network (DJT) - New Geo-Information system in Kazakhstan presented by private company (Erkin Musinov).

EASTERN AFRICA Nile Council of Ministers Commended GWPEA Progress GWPEA, Entebbe, September, 2012, The Nile Council of Ministers (NILE-COM) meeting held in Kigali, Rwanda on 5th July 2012, commended Global Water Partnership Eastern Africa (GWPEA) projects specifically Bugesera Transbandary Project implemented in the framework of WACDEP, and Adapting to Climate Change Induced Water Stress in River Nile Basin, a SIDA-UNEP funded project. The two projects were designed to contribute towards addressing critical water security issues and climate resilience challenges in the Nile River Basin and Eastern Africa Community by demonstrating solutions at national and community levels. GWPEA was commended during the meeting of Nile-Com Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members and ministers. Members of the Nile-Com appreciated the progress made by GWPEA in supplementing the work of NBI further called for closer collaboration and synergy between GWPEA and Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) member countries. The vote of appreciation a brief presentaton by Mr. Safari Patrick, the GWPEA Regional Coordinator to Nile-com comprised of 9 Ministers in charge of water affairs in the Nile Basin Riparian Countries. The NILE-COM meeting was followed by the Nile Basin Parliamentarian Forum Meeting held on 6-7th July. The theme of the Forum was: ‘The Role of Nile Basin Parliamentarians in Nurturing Nile Cooperation. The meeting called for “riparian governments to spearhead the establishment of a permanent institutional set up to enhance the Cooperation between the Nile Riparian Countries on a sustainable footing.” The chief guest, Hon Emmanuel Mudidi, Member of Parliament from Rwanda, emphasized that “ integrated water resource management should be the guiding principle for achieving not only the

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sustainability of common water resources, but also regional integration, economic growth and economic development” Workshop for the Launching of Rwanda-Burundi Transboundary Project in Bugesera Catchment GWPEA, Entebbe, September, 2012, The Rwanda-Burundi Transboundary Project in Bugesera Catchment themed “Water, Climate Change Development Program: Towards Water Security and Climate Resilience in Eastern Africa”, was held on 24th-25th July 2012, in Bugesera, borderline between Rwanda and Burundi. The workshop brought together 35 participants drawn from development partners, ministries of water and environment, ministries of national planning and finance, country water partnerships of the two countries, representatives of central and local non-governments, women and youth representatives, District planners, and staff of GWP Eastern Africa Secretariat. The GWPEA Regional Coordinator, in his welcome remarks, Safari Patrick, briefed the participants that the workshop is “aiming at bringing together key project stakeholders and partner institutions to have a common understanding of WACDEP programme and discuss the activities proposed for the implementation and build ownership of stakeholders to ensure the project sustainability.” He further emphasized that the workshop seeks to draw consensus on the project, exchange knowledge and information amongst various stakeholders from the two countries on the status of climate change and water security in Bugesera catchment part of Kagera River Basin. Workshop participants shared perspectives on challenges, best practices in the water sector and drew recommendations to inform further actions. Recommendations drawn included but limited to strengthening documentation of best practices, sharing of information and knowledge on climate change impacts and measures for resilience amongst various stakeholders in the two countries. It was also recommended that the participants contribute towards harmonizing polices, laws and enforcement mechanisms related to climate change adaptation and water security in Burundi and Rwanda. The workshop was in line with delivering GWP 2009-2013 strategic goals and realizing the overall objective of Water and Climate Development Program (WACDEP) to support integration of water security and climate resilience in development planning and decision making processes through enhanced technical and institutional capacity, and predictable financing and investments in water security and climate change adaptation. New Senior Managers of NBI briefed on GWPE flagship Programmes GWPEA, Entebbe, September, 2012, The New Senior Managers of Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat notably Engineer Teferra Beyene Asfaw, the Executive Secretary and Ms. Dorothy Kaggwa, Head of Strategic Planning and Management were briefed on the Global Water Partnership Eastern Africa (GWPEA) programmes, activities and working framework. Mr Safari Patrick, the GWPEA Regional Coordinator, presented to the new Senior Officials on the GWP vision, mission, strategic goals and flagship programmes, working relations between the two sister organizations. Mr. Teferra Beyene Asfaw pledged to further deepen the existing collaboration between GWPEA and NBI guided by the host agreement signed. Eng. Teferra was appointed by the Nile Council of

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Ministers (Nile-COM) during the 20th regular Nile-COM meeting held in Kigali, Rwanda on 5th July, 2012.The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) is an inter-governmental organization dedicated to equitable and sustainable management and development of the shared water resources of the Nile Basin. NBI Member States include Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Eritrea is as an observer. Relevant links: http://www.nilebasin.org/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=40&Itemid=50&lang=en http://www.nilebasin.org/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=139%3Aabout-the-nbi&catid=34%3Anbi-background-facts&Itemid=74&lang=en SOUTH AMERICA Commitment towards water sustainability strengthened in Chile The Second Water Sustainability Summit was held on September 27 in Chile and gathered more than 900 people. It was a huge event, which had the aim to bring together national key players and international experts around the update and discussion on actions towards national water sustainability. GWP Chile supported the organization of this event, in which GWP South America participated sharing its knowledge and experience, not only through presentations but also through the dissemination of technical publications. Maria Luisa Baltra, Chair of GWP Chile, encouraged teamwork and stressed the importance of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) to achieve good results. At the meeting, Chile’s main actors on water affairs, including national authorities, signed a symbolic commitment to water care. The Summit revealed that the country is joining forces to work with a holistic view that transcends sectors. It is in this way that GWP Chile, with the support of GWP South America, will contribute to strengthen Chile’s valuable effort towards truly integrated and sustainable water management in the coming years.

The Second Water Sustainability Summit took place simultaneously in five cities of Chile. In its capital, Santiago, about 600 people participated.

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More than 900 people were present at the Second Summit Water Sustainability 2012 in Chile on September 27. It was held simultaneously in five cities: Iquique, Arica, La Serena, Santiago and Concepción, and was partially broadcast via streaming. GWP Chile supported this event, organized by the National Irrigation Commission of the Ministry of Agriculture of Chile (CNR) and the Latin American Association of Groundwater Development - Chilean Chapter (ALHSUD), which aimed to bring together national key stakeholders and international experts around the update and discussion on actions towards water sustainability. GWP South America participated in two of the main cities: Santiago and Concepción. In Santiago, Maria Luisa Baltra, Chair of GWP Chile and representative of Gabriela Mistral University, after having informed on the purpose of Global Water Partnership and its work around the globe, stressed the importance of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) to achieve sustainability. She introduced GWP Chile and urged to work together at country level. Referring to attaining progress, Maria Luisa expressed "It's a slow walk, but we must work together as a team." She subsequently presented GWP Chile’s main lines of work, among which are: the water shortage situation in the country, communication and report on water affairs, drought effects on the development of economic activities and the analysis of the results of Chile’s water resources management assessment conducted by the World Bank. Afterwards, María Luisa Baltra participated in a round of questions from the audience, together with the French panelist Paul Haener, specialist from the International Water Office (OIE) of France. Regarding a question related to water in glaciers and the Antarctica, she clarified that although Chile is present in the latter, it cannot rely on its natural

resources freely because the Antarctic Treaty, now in force for more than 50 years , seeks the protection of the frozen continent. She also highlighted Chile’s need to regulate and discuss basins’ management, a topic in which, she believes, experiences from other countries should be observed.

Meanwhile, in Concepcion, a city in southern Chile which had a turnout of about 150 people, Chair of GWP South America and GWP Venezuela, Zoila Martinez,

María Luisa Baltra, Chair of GWP Chile, during her speech at the Summit.

María Luisa Baltra, Chair of GWP Chile, participating in a round of questions together with Paul Haener, specialist from the International Water Office of France.

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presented the recent case of the Basins Directorate of Carabobo State in Venezuela, which aims at managing the conservation of basins through public participatory policies focused on environmental education and sustainable development.

Besides sharing its knowledge and experience through presentations, GWP South America also disseminated technical publications and informative material through its booth in the capital city of Chile, Santiago.

It is worth mentioning that a symbolic

commitment to water care was signed at the summit by the Minister of Public Works, the Sub-secretary of Finance, the Sub-secretary of Environment, the Executive Secretary of the National Irrigation Commission and the Chairs of the unions of the Production and Trade Confederation, the Chilean Chamber of Construction, the National Society of Agriculture, the Chair of the Association of Irrigation

and Drainage, the Chair of the Latin American Association of Groundwater Development- Chilean Chapter (ALHSUD) and a representative of the legislative body of Chile. It was interesting to see the participation given to the public along the summit through an electronic device which allowed each person to answer relevant questions on Chile’s main water issues. Answers were processed and statistics of results shared with all participants. This encouraged the public to become involved from the beginning and show committed until the very end. The summit gave an overview of the recent advances in terms of improving Chilean water resources management through a look of sustainability and provided an opportunity to get to know varied initiatives and lessons learned from other countries around the world, such as France, Australia, United States, Mexico and Venezuela. It integrated the public, academic and private sectors around a common cause and revealed that the country is joining forces to work with a holistic view that transcends sectors. It is in this way that GWP Chile, with the support of GWP South America, will contribute to strengthen Chile’s valuable effort towards truly integrated and sustainable water management in the coming years. SOUTH ASIA

The Regional Office concentrated on the logistics and documentation for 18th Regional Council meeting that was held from 28-29 September and the Country Coordinators Workshop held on 30th September, 2012. Several important decisions were made at the meeting and the Regional Council acknowledged the valuable contribution made by Regional Chair, Mr. Sardar Muhammad Tariq and the six RC Members who finish their terms by the end of 2012.

Several achievements were made in the sector of communications. GWP SAS Regional Council adopted the Communications Strategy of the Region, thus achieving one of the Performance Markers scheduled for 2012.

The GWP SAS website was modified to meet the GWPO standards with the help of Asia Pacific Adaptation Network and the GWPO Communications Team.

GWP South America’s booth at the II Water Sustainability Summit in Chile.

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The GWP SAS-APAN “Technical report on Issues related to Water and Agriculture in South Asia” was finalized and will soon be published online by APAN.

PART 2: REPORT BY BANGLADESH WATER PARTNERSHIP 1. Training on “Climate Change Adaptation” at Dhaka, Bangladesh

Training on “Climate Change Adaptation” organized by Institute of Water Modeling (IWM) and Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP) was held from 23 - 25 September 2012 at the IWM training Centre in Mohakhali DOHS, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The aim of the training program was to increase awareness about the key critical issues related to Climate Change from different perspectives. Furthermore, trainees were able to develop an understanding of some of the main challenges that Bangladesh is likely to face in the future. The training program also included a site visit to DWASA’s Saidabad Surface Water Treatment Plant. The participants learnt about the treatment processes and long-term challenges related to water supply to the megacity.

The 11 trainees who participated in the program came from different organizations: Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA), Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC), Water Resources & Planning Organization (WARPO), Department of Environment (DOE), NGO-Forum- a local NGO, etc. Given the diverse background of the participants, there were lively discussions and debates about the issues raised by the trainers.

Ms Catharien Terwisscha van Scheltinga, Director, Dhaka Project Office, Alterra/Wageningen University and Research Centre providing training on Climate Change Adaptation – Global Perspective

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The trainers were local and international experts from different disciplines: engineering, economics, public health, etc. Topics of training sessions included: Climate Change – what is it?; Climate Change Adaptation – Global Perspective, Climate Change Economics, Climate Change and Urban Planning, Climate Change and Coastal Adaptation, Climate Change and Urban Flooding and other topics. These were selected to enable to participants to gain insight into emerging challenges from different disciplinary perspectives.

The participants gave an overwhelmingly positive feedback to the training program. They also expressed an interest in having follow-up discussions and meetings. BWP and IWM have offered to facilitate such on-going activities.

2. Participation of 18th Regional Council (RC) Meeting 2012 and workshop on Work Planning and Outcome Mapping

18th Regional Council (RC) Meeting was held from 28-29 September 2012 at Rigs Inn Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Regional Chair, Regional Coordinator, Support Officer to Regional Chair, Network Support and Programming, Senior Network Officer of GWP-SAS, Chair and one RC member from each CWP and BWP Secretariats, totaling 18 participants altogether, attended in the meeting.

Mr. Shahidul Hassan, President, BWP made the opening remarks. He emphasized the future strengthening of RC and its effectiveness to deal with the regional issues. Mr. Sardar Muhammad Tariq, Regional Chair, GWP-SAS gave a brief resume of the activities in the region during his tenure and hoped that the GWP-SAS Chair designate with the RC would continue the carry the GWP flag more efficiently and effectively. Mr. Chaminda Rajapakse, Senior Network Officer, GWP reported on the status of efficient projects submitted by GWP-SAS. He indicated that the DFID funded climate change impact project is likely to be on board very soon and the region may get an additional €200,000 at beginning of year 2013. This will be followed up by another €300,000 in the year 2014. The drought management project is expected to be funded very soon. He also informed the audience that the Delta Initiative project would be initiated at the end of the year and BWP shall have to arrange a workshop by mid December 2012. The designate Regional Chair GWP-SAS Mr. Iswer Raj Onta assured the RC that he would try himself to carry forward the excellent work initiated by the outgoing Chair and he wished him all success. Thereafter Mr. Upali S. Imbulana, Regional

Group photo of Participants at the 18th RC Meeting at Rigs Inn Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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Coordinator, GWP-SAS placed the minutes of 17th RC meeting held in Katmandu, Nepal for approval. Following issues were also discussed in the RC meeting:

Outcome of the Orientation Meeting in July 2012

Proposed improvements to the Regional Council structure

Transition of Regional Chair to Nepal from 2013

Nomination of Mr. Iswer Raj Onta as Regional Chair from 2013

Submission of Finalized/Rephrased GWPSAS Guidelines approved by the 5th General Assembly And the Resolution on Clause 5.2

Retirement of RC Members/New Appointments – Recommendations of Select Committee

Review of Financial and Physical Progress:

Final Accounts / Audit Report 2011/Appointment of Auditors for 2013

Final Budget 2012 and Expenditure up to end of 2Q 2012

Regional Budget 2013

Funding Strategy for GWP-SAS / Locally Raised Funds / In Kind Contributions

Hunting Fundraising opportunities in SAS region – constitution of a sub-committee

Progress Report up to end of 2Q – 2012

Proposed Regional activities /programs Specific country Programmes of Regional Significance Work Plan 2013

Regional Work Planning and Strategic Planning for 2014-2018

Report on Global/Regional Meetings by Regional Chair & Regional Coordinator GWP-SAS a) GWP Regional Days and Consulting Partners Meeting, Stockholm, August 22-26, 2012 – brief

on the outcomes by Regional Coordinator b) 6th World Water Forum, Marseille, France

Communications Strategy, Website and Bulletins

SAWAF-IV and proposals for regional conferences

Regional participation in the India Water Week 2013

Decision on the venue for the next RC Meeting Mr. Iswer Raj Onta, designate Regional Chair delivered the closing remarks. The vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. Azharul Haq, Vice President, Bangladesh Water Partnership.

Mr Jacques Rey, Network Support and Programming, GWP conducting a discussion in the

workshop

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A workshop on Work Planning and Outcome Mapping was held on 30 September 2012. Regional Chair, Regional Coordinator, Support Officer to Regional Chair, Network Support and Programming, Senior Network Officer of GWP-SAS, Chair and Country Coordinators from each country and two participants from BWP Secretariat attended the meeting. The following issues were discussed by Mr. Jacques Rey, Network Support and Programming, GWP:

Presentation on Mid Term Review Report, GWPO Progress Review, Focus Areas of GWP and expectations in the next Strategic Plan

Presentation on Planning and Monitoring

Discussion on Progress Markers

Discussion on current Work Planning and suggested improvements

Preparation of a strategy for future Work Planning

Communications and Reporting Detailed report on the RC and the workshop will be prepared and circulated by GWP-SAS Secretariat at a later date. 3. Participation in 5th South Asia Economic Summit (SAESV) at Islamabad, Pakistan

The Fifth South Asian Economic Summit was held in Islamabad from 11th-13th September 2012. The summit was organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with its regional partner think tanks from SAARC member countries. In order to give economic growth process in South Asia a human face, the broad theme of SAESV was ‘Making Growth Inclusive and Sustainable in South Asia’.

Dr. K. Azharul Haq, Vice President, BWP was invited to participate in the SAESV. Dr. Haq was the panelist of a session on “Regional Cooperation on Water: Opportunities for South Asia” and delivered a power point presentation on this topic. Besides the specific dialogue he discussed the following issues;

Current challenges in water sector faced by South Asia.

National and regional initiatives to manage water scarcity in South Asia.

Actors holding back improved joint management of water resources in South Asia.

Possibility of developing common and comprehensive basin-wise approach to water sector cooperation in South Asia.

Effectiveness of the Track II discourse regarding integrated use of water resources of Ganga basin between India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Effectiveness of the Track I and Track II efforts regarding sharing of water resources between India and Pakistan.

Progress on Bangladesh-India Joint Communiqué (2010) regarding agreement on Teesta River.

Opportunities for common exploitation of regional water resources for energy.

Need for new water sharing agreements e.g. between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Farming of a regional agenda on ‘win-win’ water sharing to alleviate water security threats in the region. 4. Executive Committee (EC) Meeting of BWP

38th Executive Committee (EC) Meeting and third for the year 2012 was held on 06 September 2012. The principal agenda was organizing the GWP-SAS RC Meeting at Dhaka; review of the progress of the implementation of 2012 work plan; finalization the 2013 work plan of BWP; BWP participation of

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Consulting Partners (CP) Meeting & World Water Week; progress of APAN activities; progress of the Bangladesh Women & Water Network (BWWN).

5. Publication

Bangladesh Water Partnership published the following and distributed to the participants of 18th RC meeting held in Dhaka and among its partners and individual members.

Newsletter stating all activities in 2011

Workshop report on “Collaboration and sharing experiences to strengthen the water utilities network in Bangladesh” Part 3: REPORT BY NEPAL WATER PARTNERSHIP 1. Refinement of reports

The peer review of two studies entitled “Systematic Record of Climate Change realities on agricultural households/communities and coping mechanisms adopted or practices in Khokana, Lalitpur” and "Assessment of Tinau River Development Efforts to launch the Local Water Resources Management Group (LWRMG), Tinau" has been completed. The consultants are refining the final draft reports before submission to GWP Nepal.

2. Compilation of Water Laws

The compilation of Water Laws has taken the draft form which has been submitted by the consultant. It is under peer review at present.

3. Conduction of Household Survey of the project “Benefit Sharing Mechanism in Storage Project: Lessons for Region”

On September 16, 2012, Dr. Dhruba Pant, Member, GWP Nepal/JVS conducted an orientation program for the enumerators of the household questionnaire survey of the project "Benefit Sharing Mechanism in Storage Project: Lessons for Region" at the Markhu VDC office hall. He was accompanied by Mr. Bijaya Raj Gaire, Economist of the Project, and Ms. Monica Maharjan, Field Research Officer of the project. The survey was carried out till September 30, 2012.

Dr. Dhruba Pant, Member, GWP Nepal/JVS training

the enumerators during the orientation

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4. Participation at 18th Regional Consultative (RC) meeting

Mr. Iswer Raj Onta, Chair, GWP Nepal/JVS; Dr. Upendra Gautam, RC Member and Mr. Tejendra Bahadur G.C., Country Coordinator, GWP Nepal participated at the 18th RC meeting held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from September 28 – 30, 2012.

5. CECI/PRAN at final stage

The project entitled "Strengthening Drinking Water and Sanitation Sector Services through Enhanced Accountability Measures" is at final stage. The final report is being prepared for submission to CECI/PRAN.

6. 133rd and 134th Executive committee Meeting (ECM)

The 133rd and 134th ECM of GWP Nepal /JVS were held on 10th and 24th September, 2012 respectively in Kathmandu. The meetings discussed the programmatic and administrative issues of GWP Nepal/JVS.

Part 4: Report by Pakistan Water Partnership

1. The PWP Work Plan 2013 and Budget 2013 were prepared, presented to PWP Board of Directors and approved for submission to GWP-SAS Regional Office on 3rd September 2012.

2. PWP under the supervision of Dr. Pervaiz Amir, Member Regional Panel of Experts, devised a programme to author a serious of technical papers on the following themes with the collaboration of country partners:

Climate change

Dams and development

Integrated water resources management

Groundwater governance

Gender role in water partnerships

Glacial resources study

Moving towards water policy

Rain harvesting and conservation technologies

PWP partners in a consultative workshop held on 13 September 2012 agreed to provide their inputs and contributions to the thematic papers by end of November 2012 and thereafter will remain in contact for gradual updating of papers with changing environment and perspectives. Dr. Pervaiz Amir and Mr. Karamat Ali will follow up with the partners.

Participants of GWP SAS Workshop on Work Planning

and Progress Mapping at Hotel Rigs Inn at Dhaka

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3. Regional Chair, GWP-SAS/Executive Director, PWP attended 73rd Board of Directors Meeting of Peshawar Electricity Company (PESCO) at Peshawar on 24th September 2012 respectively and contributed to decision-making on energy management and administrative matters of the Electricity Distribution Company.

4. PWP held a Stakeholders Consultation on inputs for APAN Research Paper titled “Climate Change Adaptation in Water Management for Food Security: Recent Developments in South Asia” on 25th September 2012 at Islamabad Club, Islamabad which was attended by 19 stakeholder organizations through their representatives. The Research Paper was presented by Dr. Pervaiz Amir for final responses of the stakeholders. The Research Paper was generally agreed on with some inputs and suggestion which were incorporated and the final paper was made ready for submission to the GWP-SAS Regional Office by first week of October 2012.

5. Regional Chair, GWP-SAS and Support Officer, GWP-SAS/Country Coordinator PWP participated in the 18th Regional Council Meeting held at Dhaka, Bangladesh on 28-29 September 2012 and contributed in the regional decision making process. Neither the Chair PWP nor RC Member could attend the meeting due to very late developments in Pakistan. However, Country Coordinator PWP represented the both in the RC Meeting on their behalf.

6. Regional Chair, GWP-SAS and Support Officer, GWP-SAS/Country Coordinator PWP also participated in the Regional Work Planning and OM Workshop held at Dhaka, Bangladesh on 30th September 2012 and contributed in the work planning process of the region.

7. PWP office was visited by the following partners/experts during June-August 2012 to enhance collaborative efforts for imparting water awareness and implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management in the country:

Dr. Pervaiz Amir, Director, Asianics Agro-Dev International, Islamabad.

Ch. Shauket Ali, Chairperson, Potohar Area Water Partnership (PAWP).

Mr. Tahir Shah, Chartered Accountant of PWP. Part 5: REPORT BY SRI LANKA WATER PARTNERSHIP A Programme Committee Meeting of SLWP was held on 3rd September 2012 to discuss progress on the Young Water Professionals Symposium (YWPS) being organized with IWMI and Unilevers. A special YWPS Organizing Committee Meeting was held on 11th September at Unilevers to decide on several issues. Chair, Coordinator and PC Member Mr. Lalith Dassanaike attended this meeting. Chair and RC Member Dr. Mowjood attended the 18th Regional Council Meeting in Dhaka on 28th and 29th September and the Coordinator attended a Special Coordinators meeting on the 30th in Dhaka. No field visits were undertaken in September due to full occupation with YWPS activities. Abstracts have been received and 35 invited to submit Papers by 1st October, of which 25 will be selected for presentation at the Symposium.