Like many regions across the world, Central Asia is seeking ways of making the best use of limited water resources, and integrated water resources management (IWRM) is seen as the means of achieving this. A new Technical Focus Paper provides a critical review of progress made.

The Global Water Partnership (GWP) has sponsorship available for eligible participants to complete the online course in Integrated and Adaptive Water Resources Planning, Management and Governance offered by McGill University’s Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is pleased to welcome Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, to the GWP as a Patron of the organisation.

GWP has published a new Technical Focus Paper about the challenges facing small island developing states in the Caribbean. The paper is the first in a series to present a critical review of progress made in water resources planning and practice in GWP regions.

14 April 2014, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Climate change adaptation is the focus of high-level regional training and knowledge exchange in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this month. African government ministerial representatives from more than 30 least developed African countries are meeting to consider National Adaptation Plan (NAP)require-ments, which aim to address the long–term climate change challenges for Africa.

GWP Romania was the first country to submit a report from their recent national consultation on water in the post-2015 agenda. A total of 29 country consultations are being organised in the first few months of 2014 as part of the GWP-OECD Global Dialogue project.

The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change (IPCC) states in its summary for policy makers that integrated water resources management (IWRM) is a key part of adaptation experiences in several regions. “This shows that GWP’s and its partners’ advocacy efforts to explain how IWRM is the way forward for building water security and climate resilience are bearing fruit,” says GWP Executive Secretary Dr. Ania Grobicki.

GWP Chair Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss gave the introductory keynote to the Second Mekong River Commission Summit and International Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 2 April. She presented some key elements related to the Post-2015 Development Agenda, stressing the need for a dedicated water goal in an ever-changing world.

Around the world, World Water Day 2014 was celebrated by many, with activities connected to the theme of water and energy. GWP launched a new video, as well as a new Strategy, Towards 2020, in connection with World Water Day, and the day was celebrated across the GWP regions.

Three more GWP Technical Background Papers are now also available in Spanish. GWP’s library of publications written by the Technical Committee is growing, and there are currently 18 background papers. Many of them have been translated into several languages.