The Global Water Partnership (GWP) Steering Committee announced the appointment of Mr Darío Soto-Abril (pictured) as GWP Executive Secretary, effective March 1, 2021. Soto-Abril joins GWP after serving as Global CEO at Fairtrade International since February 2017.

Climate change is getting worse. Floods, droughts and rising sea levels are threatening sanitation systems – from toilets to septic tanks to treatment plants. It is against this backdrop that World Toilet Day is celebrated on 19 November, raising awareness of the 4.2 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation. GWP celebrates the day by showcasing five Water ChangeMaker stories, providing hope that change is possible.

In Somalia, water is life - literally. It is also a country where much is happening today. The one-person-one-vote election to take place in early 2021 will be a historic milestone in the country’s road back to security, stability, and wellbeing. The economy is growing, driven by increased confidence, reforms, and bank development, and the business community is resilient, globally connected, and entrepreneurial. New opportunities for economic cooperation and integration on the Horn of Africa plays to the country’s advantage. Still, water remains a critical factor in Somalia’s development pathway. It is a water scarce country, at risk of climate related variability, and has to improve its capacity to manage water well in coming years.

GWP-CAf partners joined GWP partners from across the globe during the October 21 – 22 Annual GWP Network Meeting to brainstorm on how to advance the water security agenda and mobilize water investments to “build back better” post COVID-19.

The SADC Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Governance Framework, that was developed by SADC with technical assistance from GWPSA, was approved in a joint meeting held by the Ministers responsible for Energy and Water from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on the 30th October 2020 through video conferencing, hosted by the Republic of Mozambique.

The ad-hoc Steering Committee for the Nexus activities in the Drina River Basin under the SEE Nexus Project, supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), had its first online meeting on 15 October 2020. Representatives from the Ministries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia relevant to the water, energy and environment sectors, were informed about and commented on the project’s objectives and planned activities in the basin.

The 2020 GWP Network Meeting concluded on 22 October, with over 900 GWP Partners signed up for the virtual event and others watching the Facebook Live feed. The overall theme was ‘Bringing the Change’ in the context of the GWP 2020-2025 Strategy and as the world faces a pandemic.

The finalists of the Water ChangeMaker Awards have been announced at the 2020 GWP Network Meeting. Oyun Sanjaasuren, Director of External Affairs for the Green Climate Fund, Chair of the stage two Water ChangeMaker thought leaders’ jury and former GWP Chair, presented the 12 change journeys that now enter the final stage of the Awards.