Asia and the Pacific has made impressive progress towards achieving several sustainable development goals including poverty alleviation, education and economic growth. At the same time, the region needs to accelerate concerted efforts across all sectors to achieve the SDGs by 2030. In the face of transboundary challenges such as climate change and natural disasters, energy security and connectivity, ecosystem degradation on land and in our oceans, and promoting sustainable equitable trade, regional cooperation can support and complement the effectiveness of national mechanisms and be a link between global goals and country level commitments.
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.
GWP took part in the COP 23 UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, on 6-17 November, to promote climate change adaptation through water resources management. Various streams of GWP’s work on climate resilience were highlighted, and financing for water was a key component in many discussions.
Water is a key component of ensuring climate action. A GWP delegation was in Bonn, Germany, to convey this message and raise the profile of water at the UN climate talks, COP23, which took place 6-17 November. Rapid implementation to the Paris Agreement is paramount to battle climate change. Water is integral to build climate resilience and is therefore a crucial component of implementing the Paris Agreement. And GWP is well positioned to help countries deliver on the adaptation components of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
GWP has leveraged its stakeholder network to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reporting process in 30 countries. Together with UN Environment-DHI, the custodian agency of SDG 6.5.1, GWP is convening 30 workshops to collect the official country data for 6.5.1. (Integrated Water Resources Management, IWRM).
National consultation workshops on SDG 6 were held in Central and Eastern Europe to consult stakeholders on assessing the implementation, monitoring and reporting process for indicator 6.5.1.
Integrated planning of water, food and energy sectors and promoting regional cooperation has been considered as a strategy to meet water, energy and food security targets, and to improve natural resource use efficiency in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The 3rd Consultation Workshop on enhancing the potential for Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure in Lebanon, with emphasis on the role of Banks was organised in Beirut on the 8th November 2017, as part of the National Policy Dialogue on Water Governance and Financing. The Workshop involved more than 25 targeted representatives of relevant public institutions, private banks, regional organisations and NGOs.
Global Water Partnership Eastern Africa GWP EAF has contributed to catalysing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) drought regional investment by mobilizing USD13M to enhance drought resilience of vulnerable communities in the IGAD region
