IW news

Within the framework of MedPartnership sister project "Integration of climate variability and change into national strategies for Integrated Coastal Zone Management", the first "Climagine" workshop was organised in Šibenik, Croatia on 8 April 2013. The workshop was jointly organised by the Plan Bleu, PAP/RAC and the County, and was opened by Mr. Goran Pauk, President of the Šibenik-Knin County. Fifty participants, including representatives of national, regional and local authorities and institutions, academic community and NGOs attended the workshop.

Approximately 64 per cent of Africa’s land surface lies within its 63 transboundary river basins as compared to 47 per cent globally. For the southern Africa region, defined by the boundaries of member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), 16 transboundary basins provide nearly 80 per cent of the region’s available water resources. All but one continental SADC state has over 50 per cent of their land mass in transboundary river basins. Some countries rely on more than 50 per cent of their water needs flowing from outside of their borders. In this context, water cooperation has been a serious matter for many African countries throughout their history and is increasingly so as their economies grow and become increasingly integrated.

More than 120 participants attended two workshops held in Algeria for the preparation of a national Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) strategy. The workshops were organised by the Ministry of Land-use Planning, Environment and Town with the support of PAP/RAC.

Lake Tanganyika, which falls under the administration of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, and Burundi, is the world’s second largest freshwater lake by volume and a haven for aquatic wildlife. The lake (map at left taken from here) is home to about 2,000 species of fish, most of which are found nowhere else in the world. Such diversity is possible both because of the lake’s size and antiquity; geologists believe Lake Tanganyika to be between 9 and 12 million years old. Eons of isolation have allowed a very distinctive ecosystem to form, similar to other large inland bodies of water like Lake Victoria and Lake Baikal. Lake Tanganyika also forms a vital pillar of human life in the area. The lake is a key protein source for millions of locals, and its fisheries directly employ hundreds of thousands of workers.

By Santiago Ormeno and Geoffrey Omedo (In this section, we highlight some of the lessons, experiences and best practices from our COAST Kribi Demo Site in Cameroon)

By Marcel Leijzer, UNWTO

The MedPartnership Coordination group held its annual meeting at the UNESCO in Paris, France from 3 to 5 April 2013

Workshops held in Algeria for the preparation of a national Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) strategy

"Climagine", a participatory method introduced in Croatia for sustainable coastal zone management and climate variability and change

Technical Consultation to negotiate the final text of the International Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines) which shall be be presented for approval to the 31st Session of the Committee on Fisheries. Registration Registration Form for International Organizations / Formulaire d’inscription pour Organisations Internationales / Formulario de inscripción para Organizaciones Internacionales Information for Delegates to Meetings at FAO Headquarters Meeting documents Web site: http://www.fao.org/fishery/ssf/guidelines/en

Cape Town, South Africa: WWF-South Africa (WWF-SA) is elated over Minister Edna Molewa's recent formal announcement of the declaration of the Prince Edward Islands as a marine protected area (MPA) – Africa`s first offshore MPA. Dr Morné du Plessis, WWF-SA's Chief Executive says, "This is a historic day for marine conservation in South Africa.

Rehabilitation and Sustainable Management of the Apia Catchment 12 th  April 2013: Samoa’s GEF Pacific IWRM Demonstration Project entitled “Rehabilitation and Sustainable Management of the Apia Catchment” has made great progress in strengthening legal frameworks for water resource management and securing access to safe drinking water. Key project results include: Protection of land for inclusion in land reserve to reduce stress on water systems; finalisation of 3 Watershed Management Plans that define buffer ...

The Fourth Workshop on Adaptation to Climate Change in Transboundary Basins will take place in the Palais des Nations Geneva on 25–26 June 2013 backtoback with the sixth meeting of the Task Force on Water and Climate (Geneva 27 June 2013)The workshop will offer a platform for exchanging experience on adaptation strategies best practices success factors and lessons learned with a particular focus on transboundary climate change adaptation s...

The Workshop on Transboundary Water Cooperation “Latin American and PanEuropean Regions Sharing Experiences and Learning from Each Other” will take place from 11 to 12 June 2013 in Buenos Aires Argentina A targeted event for GEF IW projects and partners entitled “GEF IW LEARN Integration Dialogue on Conjunctive Surface and Groundwater Management in the ECLAC region” will take place back–toback with the Workshop on 13 June 2013 Participants attending the Workshop are ...

Newly published research from the International Water management Institute (IWMI) and partners has turned the groundwater spotlight on the Upper Bhima River Basin in central Maharastra State and raised alarming concerns about future groundwater availability.