March 22 marks World Water Day 2017. This year’s theme is wastewater. GWP has published two blogs about the theme, and conducted a Facebook Live interview with Rami Abdel Rahman of the Sweden Textile Water Initiative. Around the GWP Network, various celebrations are taking place. However, the main GWP celebration this year concerns the very website you are currently on – the launch of a completely new www.gwp.org.

On the occasion of the 2017 International Women’s Day, and drawing on the global theme for this year: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality, GWP-Med has asked women water champions from the Mediterranean water community to reflect on: How can the water sector step it up for gender equality?

The Norwegian government recently signed a 3-year donor agreement with GWP. Hans Olav Ibrekk represented the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at GWP’s Financing Partners Group meeting in December. He says GWP has a key role to play in developing the required capacity, analytical tools and approaches for decision makers to meet the growing and urgent need of improved water resources management.

Following the outcome of the Post - National Consultation on Food Security and Water in Sub- Sahara Africa held in Abuja with relevant agencies and department in the Ministry in - charge of Agriculture on 12th May, 2016, a decision was reached to constitute a working group (WG) that will mid-wife the Nigeria - Country Project (WEFE Initiative).

The Gambia Country Water Partnership is a young partnership established in December 2011 and accredited in 2016. Among other things funding remains a major constraint. Inadequate and slow responses to proposals have delayed the implementation of planned programmes and the establishment of a more formal secretariat. But the Partnership continues to make efforts to mobilize resources to enable it carry out its activities

The CWP Mali made a guided visit to Gouendo on 16 and 17 November. The visit made it possible to interact with the beneficiaries to obtain their feedback on the pilot project, to know the peasants' perception of the project and to suggest areas for improvement.

The IDMP PM made a field visit accompanied by the Permanent Secretary and Communicator of the Niger CWP on November 22 in the rural municipality of Torodi. The project focus the development of the site of irrigated crops for the benefit of the women of the village of Kankantouti.

A national workshop was held on November 2, 2016 in Abidjan to validate the consultant report on the assessment of needs in integrated flood management. A study carried out by the Consultant, Mr. JIBIKILAYI Honoré.

A trained session was organized on 21 and 23 November 2016 by the Country Water Partnership of Benin to strengthen the capacity of its staff and some representatives of the CWP bodies on procurement issues in Benin.

The 2nd Regional Conference of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) labelled project “Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector” was organised on 5-6 December 2016, in Tunis, Tunisia, by the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med), in close collaboration with the H2020 Pollution Reduction & Prevention Investment Group (PRPI) & National Action Plan process. It convened more than 110 decision makers and representatives of government, civil society, international organisations, donors and financing institutions and the private sector.