As climate change and variability have increased the occurrence of disasters such as hurricanes, floods and droughts in the Caribbean region, governments have begun to give greater priority to disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts. Many efforts are being made to build capacity, influence policies and develop strategies to better equip countries and their populations to become more resilient to water-related disasters.
In 2021, GWP and Wuhan International Water Law Academy are co-organising an interactive online series called the "Transboundary freshwater security governance train". The sessions are conducted in an approach of a ‘train’, stopping at various locations in the world. At each of the stops, a different topic from the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for Governance for Transboundary Freshwater Security is explored. On 16 February, the 2nd session in the series looks at ecosystems, international law and transboundary water cooperation.
The challenges and cross-sectoral benefits of sustainable forest and water management in the Drin basin were discussed during the two-day capacity building workshop. Practitioners and decision makers from the Drin river basin countries gathered virtually on the 16 and 17 December 2020 to discuss the crucial interlinkages between sustainable forest management and integrated water resources management in addressing environmental and social challenges in the region.
A national consultation meeting in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held online on December 22, to discuss national perspectives and priorities on how to coordinate and advance cross-sectoral actions regarding the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus approach in the Drina river basin.
The Danish Water Forum organises the 15th Annual Water Research Conference, which starts on 2 February, to be held online over several days with the last session scheduled for 18 March.
Rescheduled from October 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, CFS 47 will be held virtually, and will seek to advance the CFS mandate and approved programme of work.