As the world’s cities experience rapid growth, the global construction industry has been expanding exponentially. As a result, the demand for and price of river sand, which is the favoured natural material to produce mortar and concrete, has also increased. In Sri Lanka in particular, demand has been rising since the early 1990s, and has taken a notable leap since the 2004 tsunami. GWP Sri Lanka and its partners successfully contributed to a better regulated river sand mining sector.

As part of the Benin government’s programme to develop an IWRM plan, it tasked GWP with mobilising stakeholders to define a vision and roadmap for improving water resources management. The IWRM plan’s development was facilitated by GWP Benin, with support from GWP technical and financial partners. 

The Drin River is a complex transboundary water system and a strategic developmental resource for its riparian states. The Drin Dialogue has been instrumental in establishing transboundary cooperation to foster a basin-wide effort towards sustainable and integrated water resources management. GWP supported the establishment of this collaborative platform and contributed to leveraging 5.5M USD for implementing the Drin Memorandum of Understanding and its Action Plan.

GWP supported Cameroon in creating its first National Adaptation Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC), a strategic intervention comprised of 20 adaptation programmes.

In Malawi, GWP provided long-term backing to the adoption of an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach to water management. This support included the development and implementation of a national IWRM and Water Efficiency (WE) plan to guide Malawi towards increased water security.

Recognising the value of rainwater, greywater and recycled wastewater as a resource rather than a waste product, GWP Mediterranean’s Non-Conventional Water Resources (NCWR) Programme has proven to be a cost effective method of increasing local water availability and climate resilience in water scarce Mediterranean islands.

In the early 2000s it was clear to the citizens and municipality of the megacity of Karachi, Pakistan, that nothing short of stakeholder empowerment would be sufficient to overcome the urban water management problems facing the city.  The result was the GWP-supported Karachi Water Partnership, which has successfully served as a platform for collective action by citizens, government, and the private sector to better manage water resources.

GWP led the technical preparation of Mali’s Integrated Water Resources Management Plan and acted as an “honest broker” to lead national and local dialogue. The dialogue involved parliamentarians and representatives from the private sector who helped to identify water security priorities. 

GWP supported the development and implementation of a National Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Roadmap in The Gambia to guide the country towards increased water security. Validated in 2009, the implementation of the Roadmap has received approximately €2 million in funding from the African Development Bank and has led to the establishment of a Country Water Partnership.

GWP Zambia was requested by the government to facilitate the development a national Integrated Water Resources Management/Water Efficiency (IWRM/WE) plan. GWP Zambia managed the multi-stakeholder consultations, led an awareness raising campaign, and initiated a capacity building programme – all of which resulted in buy-in from a range of actors.