NEWS

In the run up to the World Water Day 2016, GWP-CAf partners, like Cameroon Ministry of water and energy, private sector, NGOs and civil society organizations, organized the national water week 2016, in Yaoundé, which had as theme “water and jobs” and took place over seven days, from March 17-22, 2016.

Several events took place during the national week. Among which, there was a media workshop; two site visits, conducted, one to the wastewater treatment plant and the other to water treatment plant; a campaign for the dissemination of knowledge and legal text on water sector and sanitation; an exhibition fair; football and power walking and a forum on water jobs. All of these activities ended with a competition for a best poem written and cartoon on “water and jobs” for pupils of 5 schools in Yaounde.

Within the framework of the implementation of the programme for “Water and Youth”, GWP-CAf and its partner Water For Life Cameroon, a youth led-organization held from February 6th - 27th 2016 a series of four traineeship workshops on hygiene coaching  for the primary schools of Yaoundé II.

The traineeship was included in the line of the hygiene promotion project in primary schools entitled “ soap for healthy lives” developed by NGO Water For Life Cameroon.

The kick off ceremony was championed by the new GWP-Chair on February 6th, 2016 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. 13 participants, representing 10 youth led-organizations, attended the different training sessions.

The workshops centered their deliveries on four main modules like: Water-borne diseases: Transmission, Demonstration and Preventative measures; WASH in schools and rights to water and sanitation; the academic environment and the child psychology finally the class animation techniques.

Reflection workshop on « Sustainable livelihoods in wetlands in developing countries: the vision of the African youth” initiated by Water For Life Cameroon within the context of the celebration of World Wetlands Day and in partnership with  GWP-CAf was held on February 3^rd, 2016 in Yaoundé, Cameroun.

21 Participants drawn from 13 Cameroon youth led-organizations working for the protection of environment and research centers attended the workshop on wetlands.

The objective of the workshop was to raise awareness on the position of youth on the importance of the interdependence between human livelihoods and wetlands in urban and rural areas in order to catalyze change in the utilization of resources offered/generated by the wetlands.

From the 4^th to the 8^th of December 2015, GWP-CAf had offered a course on the module entitled “Water and Socio-Economic Development” (LPEE 233) to 2^nd year students of the School of Wood, Water and Natural Resources of the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Dschang , the Ebolowa Branch in South Region of Cameroon.

This activity is related to GWP-CAf strategic goal n°2: “Generate and communicate knowledge” developed in the implementation of the collaborative partnership established since 2007 between Global Water Partnership Central Africa with the University of Dschang, and thus oriented towards providing technical support in the delivery of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) related courses.

Within 5 days, 65 out of 77 students attended the lectures which were organized and articulated on Definition of keys terms; introduction to IWRM, IWRM concept and principles, importance of monitoring water resources and river basins, Water and Environment, Economics and financing of water supply/virtual water concept as well as  the Concept and implementation of participation.

Bienvenue GBELO wins the 2015 GWP-CAf Media award on “water and climate change”.

Bienvenue GBELO, a journalist reporter for Radio Ndeke Luka in Bangui, Central African Republic wins the Global Water Partnership-Central Africa Media Award on “Water and Climate change” 2015. As winner of media competition launched by GWP-CAf on February 1^st 2015, he was awarded a certificate, a recorder and cash prize of 500 euros. 

Bienvenue’s submission was based on the theme “Drinking water still a rare commodity in Bangui.” The press article looked specifically at water shortage phenomena in the capital city and dryness of certain streams in the neighbourhood/surrounding villages. 

The GWP - CAf general assembly of partners was held in Douala, Cameroon on November 6, 2015 under the theme " water sector funding challenges in Central - Africa Opportunities and Constraints: What strategy to adopt? "

The consulting partner meeting brought together the chairs of the 4 country water partnerships of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sao Tomé and Principe as well as the acting chair of GWP-CAf Technical Committee, GWPO network officer for central Africa, representatives of basin organizations like International commission for Congo-Oubangui-Sangha basin (CICOS), the Lake Chad Basin Commission, and the representatives of civil society organizations.

The workshop on the mobilization of Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) experts for reshaping hydrological norms was held in Douala, Cameroon from October 20th to 21st, 2015.

This workshop was implemented within the framework of the project known as RESIHYST Africa Project “Hydrological standards reviewing for resilient hydraulic infrastructure to climate change in Africa “. It was organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

This workshop brought together ECCAS’ experts in database management, GWP-CAf expert officials from ministries of water, transport, public works and focal points of International Hydrological programme (IHP) from Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe as well as representatives of universities and hydrological research center.

From 29^th to 30^th September, 2015 the meeting of the “Taskforce” for the development of central Africa regional hdyro-meteorological strategy was held in Douala, Cameroon. It was organized by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in collaboration with GWP-CAf.

In addition to ECCAS and GWP-CAf’s experts, the meeting was attended by national experts in meteorology and hydrology from Cameroon, Congo, Chad, DR Congo, Gabon and Sao Tomé é Principe as well as representatives of UNESCO and Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).

The “Taskforce” meeting planned during a working visit conducted by GWP-CAf to Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in July 2015, enabled experts to better understand the regional hydrometeorological strategy elaboration process and approve the regional synthesis report of baseline studies for National Hydrological and Meteorological Services conducted in six (6) pilot countries in Central Africa. The road map for the development of regional hydro meteorological services strategy in Central Africa was also discussed and approved.

From the 7^th to 10^th September, 2015 was held in N’djamena, Chad a training workshop for staff and experts of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) on IWRM for transboundary water resources management.

Organized by the Department of Natural Resources Management of the LCBC in collaboration with GWP Central Africa (GWP CAf), the workshop brought together fifteen participants from the secretariat of the LCBC.

The objective was to strengthen their understanding of the IWRM concept and its principles, and also develop their capacity in using some specific IWRM planning tools with a special focus on development and management of transboundary water resources. It also aimed at ensuring a common understanding of the concepts, principles and planning process of IWRM among key staff of the LCBC secretariat.

Within the context of implementation of WACDEP in central Africa, GWP Cameroon in collaboration with GWP-Caf organized in Douala, Cameroon, from August 26^th - to 28^th  2015 WACDEP project capacity building workshop for national institutions and water organizations on “project preparation related to water security and climate resilience”.

The 3 days’ workshop brought together planners in ministries from Cameroon, Chad and Gabon and water professionals from Country Water Partnerships like Cameroon, Central African Republic and Sao Tome and Principe.

The main objective of the workshop was, on the one hand to introduce stakeholders the different project preparation key steps, integrating water security and climate resilience in conformity with the funders’ requirements, to know better the financial institutions and also to plead for integrating water security and climate resilience into development planning process and on the other hand to develop no/low regret investment and financing strategies