On May 28, the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Focal Point of the Nicaraguan Ministry of the Environment (MARENA) and the IWRM Commission, with the support of GWP, held a national consultation for the SDG 6.5.1 baseline - the degree of implementation of IWRM. This is part of GWP's global efforts to assist national stocktaking and reporting on IWRM.

GWP held its annual Regional Days meeting on 1-4 June. The virtual event set a record in numbers, with over 120 GWP participants worldwide. While the main purpose is to have a shared understanding of GWP priorities and approaches, one of the highlights this year was the ‘virtual signing’ of a grant agreement between GWP and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on readiness support to the Zambia National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

In response to many requests, we have decided to extend the deadline for the Water ChangeMaker Awards with one week - to 14 June 2020 by midnight CEST - to give those who have not yet finalized their submissions a chance to participate.

Every year, all GWP Regions meet to brainstorm, share knowledge and learn about current challenges and future opportunities for the network at the annual regional days. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, this year’s regional days was held virtually for a period of four days, starting June 1st with over 100 participants at the opening plenary chaired by the outgoing Executive Secretary (ES), Monika Weber-Fahr . All regions were fully represented including GWP-CAf which was represented by the Regional Chair, Regional coordinator, as well as the Finance and Communications officers.

IHE Delft has held the 6th edition of the International Symposium on Knowledge and Capacity Development for the Water Sector. Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the symposium – “From Capacity Development to Implementation Science” – was held online on 26-29 May, with around 500 participants from around the world. GWP is a Partner of the Symposium and hosted a session on ‘Reaching and engaging local communities.’ Recommendations from all sessions were fed into the Delft Agenda, finalised at the end of June and launched on 20 July.

Any experience on water management is worth to be shared, says Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences of UNESCO: “Water managers need to understand the different journeys that have been taken, so that we collectively can promote sustainable water management.”

"We're interested in the Water ChangeMaker Awards because we understand that climate resilience is an active leadership," says John Matthews, Executive Director of Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) on the decision to partner with GWP for the Awards: “Climate resilience is something that requires bold thinking and bold actions, and we need the Water ChangeMaker Awards as a signal for aspirations, for hopes, for what positive change can really look like.”

We work very closely as knowledge brokers with policy and decision-makers to walk the journey with them of implementing climate action, says CDKN Director Dr Shehnaaz Moosa: “When the Water ChangeMaker Awards came up, it seemed like an automatic fit for CDKN to be a knowledge partner”.

The connection between water and climate is undeniable, says Gabriel Eckstein, President of the International Water Resources Association (IWRA): "Without one, we cannot have the other. This is why we joined as a Partner with the Water ChangeMaker Awards - to bring closer the knowledge and expertise and voices of members and partners to the international water and development communities that are making decisions, moving to action and inspiring others."