GEF/UNDP/GWP-Med project 'Enabling transboundary cooperation and integrated water resources management in the extended Drin River Basin' (GEF Drin Project) is making forces to raise public awareness about the natural wealth and legacy of the Drin River Basin on the occasion of Drin Day 2018.

Successful launching of the WACDEP programme in Mauritania bringing together key stakeholders for a training cycle on water security, resilient development and adaptation to climate change.

Sri Lanka Water Partnership (SLWP) joined hands with Central Environment Authority (CEA) and Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC) to mark World Wetlands Day (WWD) on 2 February 2018.

GWP continues engaging on WASH climate resilience through its collaboration with UNICEF. A Strategic Framework was developed to provide WASH service delivery that is resilient to climate change, and a series of technical briefs and learning modules support the implementation of the Framework. All materials are now available on a new website.

More than 140 decision makers and representatives of government, civil society, international organisations, donors, financing institutions, and the private and banking sector, came together for 3 days sharing experiences and discussing needs, challenges and next steps during the “Conference on Water Governance in MENA and wider Mediterranean region” that was held in Barcelona, on 12-14 December. The Regional Conference was organised under the auspices of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), by two UfM-labelled projects supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), namely the Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector project led by GWP-Med, and the Regional Water Integrity Capacity Building Programme in MENA, led by SIWI UNDP Water Governance Facility. The Conference was organised in close and strategic synergy with the EU-funded Sustainable Water Integrated Management and Horizon 2020 Support Mechanism (SWIM-H2020 SM) regional project.

Water is the interconnector of all other sectors; Therefore, it is not possible to support sectors development without understanding the role of water as one of the important development foundation. As important as it is, water is still considered as social goods and do not have value by development actors. This condition has created a very complex challenge for the development of water sector itself. In Asia Pacific region, the complexities of water challenges then urged the establishment of The Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) in Asia Pacific region.

In recognition of the increasing pollution in the Chubachu stream compounded by poor waste management, the National Environment Commission Secretariat in collaboration with the Thimphu Thromde, Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN)/Bhutan Water Partnership (BhWP) and Clean Bhutan decided to adopt and spearhead the cleaning of Chubachu stream. The adoption was launched on 22 March 2017 in observation of the World Water Day, which was followed by a mass cleaning campaign.

The first International Workshop on Wastewater Management in the Danube river Basin took place from 28 to 29 November 2017 in Bucharest, Romania. The Workshop was co-organised by the ICPDR, IAWD, the International Association of Water Supply companies in the Danube River Catchment Area, and the World Bank.

Bangladesh hosted the fourth regional consultation on Valuing Water held on 31 July 2017 at the BRAC Centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Sixty-three water professionals from Bangladesh, development partners representing World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations, Water Resources Group 2030 (WRG 2030), Embassies and other organisations have actively participated the discussion.