Bonn 19 May 2016 - Global Water Partnership (GWP) has launched a global programme to assist countries to implement the adaptation component of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – the climate plans submitted to the UNFCCC ahead of the Paris Agreement.
GWP representatives are at the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, taking place 16-26 May. The focus is on GWP support for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, specifically in relation to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from countries, the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes, South-South Cooperation, and financing. On Thursday 19 May GWP is co-organising a high level side event together with the Government of Morocco, the UNFCCC Secretariat Adaptation Programme, and GIZ.
The First High Level Ministerial Panel on Responding to Climate and Environmental Challenges in South East Europe (SEE) took place on 1st April 2016, in Podgorica, in the framework of the South East Europe Strategy 2020 and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).
The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) has done some major updates to its Caribbean Water and Climate Knowledge Platform which was developed under its Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) in 2014.
Dr. Nicole Bernex is a Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru and a Member of the GWP Technical Committee. She has been active in the GWP network for many years, the past ten of them through GWP Peru. When asked to talk about a topic close to her heart, Dr. Bernex chooses a project that GWP has been running successfully in Peru for the past two years, the Santa Eulalia Water, Climate and Development Programme.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Global Water Partnership South Asia (GWP SAS) will be jointly organising ‘Climate Services User Forum (CSUF 27 and 28 April 2016) for the Water Sector in South Asia’ in association with WMO’s South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF-8) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
GWP-CAf Staff made a four days working visit to the Executive Secretariat of Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), which took place from 22 to 25 of March 2016, in Ndjamena, Chad.
The main objective of this visit was to finalize the ToRs and tender document for the development of a project on the establishment of an Early Warning System. The visit ended with the approval of the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the project entitled “Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems (EWS) for Climate Resilient Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Lake Chad Basin area”.
Last year a group of youth from more than 20 countries started a global initiative where they produced a white paper in the lead up to COP21, which allowed for a Youth Commitment under the Lima-Paris Action Agenda. GWP and partners are now taking the next step in launching a youth portal, where the voices of the young people will be gathered in one place. The portal is launched on World Water Day, 22 March.
The Executive Secretary of GWP, Rudolph Cleveringa, says that GWP as a network needs to change: “We can’t use the same agenda as we did 20 years ago”. Approaching World Water Day 2016, Cleveringa takes a moment to reflect on GWP’s 20 years in the water world and talks about his vision on how to make the network fit for the future – local inclusion and diversity are words he uses to make his point.