The Board of Directors of Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) is pleased to announce that Mr. Alex Simalabwi has been named the new Executive Secretary, Head of Africa Coordination Unit and GWP’s Global Lead on Climate Resilience. His appointment was effective from 1st January 2017. Mr. Alex Simalabwi succeeds Ms. Ruth Beukman who had served GWPSA since 2003.

In our 2016 interview series to celebrate GWP 20 years, we talk to Ruth Beukman, Regional Executive Secretary for GWP Southern Africa. After 13 years, she is preparing to leave her job at the end of this year. But she will never completely leave GWP, she says, and speaks fondly of the network – the “GWP family”, whose strength lies in its strong relationships, diversity and flexibility.

The 6^th General meeting of the African Network of Basin Organisations took place from 20 – 22 September 2016 at Lemigo Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. The meeting took stock of the state of implementation of the resolutions and on the achievements of African network since the holding of the 2015 general meeting.

The Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) and its stakeholders have continued efforts to improve the management of the Zambezi River Basin. A recent activity was an inaugural stakeholder consultation in collaboration with government agencies, academia, other RBOs, and local representatives, which ZAMCOM organised in Windhoek, Namibia from 27-28 September, 2016. The consultation was held under the theme “Enhancing Transboundary Cooperation through Stakeholder Engagement in the Zambezi Basin”. 

GWPSA’s technical team participated at the World Water Week in Stockholm from 28^th August – 2^nd September, 2016. Under the theme, Water for Sustainable Growth, the team participated in a number of sessions contributing to the solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today. Key sessions that they participated in included:

A training course on International Water Law (IWL) in Africa took place in Kampala, Uganda, in June. It was the second year running that GWP and its Partners organised the course, with the aim to strengthen transboundary water resources management in Africa. The training was appreciated by the participants who lauded its significance in improving water governance in basins.

From 15-17^th August, 2016, the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa conveyed Water Demand Management skills to a group of Masters Students undertaking the Water Demand Management Module being offered at the University of Western Cape. By virtue of the University of Western Cape being a WaterNet member, and GWPSA’s close affiliation to WaterNet, the 2 institutions were able to work together to build human capacity in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). 

Following the end of the first phase of WACDEP in 2016, an African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) programme implemented by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and partners, a number of knowledge products have been developed to help capture the various lessons and experiences drawn from the various WACDEP projects. The products provide a more comprehensive understanding of the programmes innovative approach.

These knowledge products are the opportunity to make available the programmes thinking and knowledge as we continue to build a water secure and climate resilient world. Access the products below:

The Youth H₂O forum joined a number of stakeholders in commemorating World Water Day which fell on 22^nd March 2016. The day was commemorated in two different places. The main event was held in Choma Southern province on the 21^st March, and the other event was held in Lusaka at Mtendere Clinic. 

The Mauritius Youth Water Network (MYWN) is an association comprising youth from different organisations (government, NGOs and other civil society organisations).  The MYWN was set up in June 2015 following a National Youth Forum during the SADC Water Week. The forum brought together youth leaders to develop a national action plan for the implementation of the AMCOW Policy and Strategy on Mainstreaming Youth in the Water and Sanitation Sector and SADC Youth Strategy.