The GWP 2021 Network Meeting of Partners took place online on 1 & 2 December under the Theme “Leading Change and Innovation through our Partners”. GWP-Med was actively involved, presenting examples of success stories from its work around the Mediterranean in several Breakout Sessions.
A historical reservoir of 800,000 litres was restored for rainwater harvesting to service the sustainable development vision of Birgu City, which becomes Malta’s first Water Saving City, marking 10 years of collaboration between GWP-Med, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Malta’s Ministry for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development, the Energy and Water Agency and local stakeholders. Over 10 years, non-conventional water resources applications under the Alter Aqua programme have saved more than 20 million litres of water annually, benefiting 20% of Malta’s population.
Being innovative in the face of an ever-changing world, delivering GWP’s strategy despite the challenges of COVID, and connecting water communities across the globe – these were some of the key messages during this year’s GWP Network Meeting.
Thirty members of women-led organizations in the Central African Republic have been trained on water security and management, gender, and climate resilience.
Danube Floodplain Winter Online School was successfully held between 15 and 19 November. The multi-layered programme covered the topics of the scientific methods developed in the Interreg Danube Floodplain project, and the working practices in water and flood management.
A High-Level Water Investment Conference, which will take place in hybrid format in Zanzibar, Tanzania on the 11 March 2022, is set to explore solutions for accelerating and transforming the investment outlook for water and sanitation in Africa.
On 18 November, the Starting at the Source to Save the Ocean event was co-convened by members of the Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management (S2S), as part of the United Nations ‘Ocean Decade’ (2021–2030). Participants learned of the importance of taking action on land in order to improve ocean health. The event focused on the interlinkages of freshwater and marine water resources.
On 16 November, the Transboundary Freshwater Security Governance Train stopped at its last destination for this year. Participants had the chance to learn about water diplomacy and negotiation, as well as the tools and methods that can be used to peacefully settle conflicts over shared waters.
