Dear IW Colleagues and Subscribers,
Well it is upon us. The 20th Anniversary of the GEF International Waters Focal Area is about to be celebrated in Dubrovnik, Croatia in just over a week.
Theis set to take place from 17 to 20 October, along with accompanying targeted workshops for project managers. This IWC will be the sixth opportunity to once again meet as a unique family addressing transboundary water management at a global scale. With twenty years of results and achievements to consider, the conference will be a busy occasion. Important events in the coming year, such as Rio Plus 20 have the potential to reshape the international architecture governing our efforts. This IWC’s focus on Raising the Bar: 20 Years of GEF Transboundary Water Results, affords an opportunity to examine what the portfolio has achieved in the last 20 years and how those results can be sustained in the years to come. We’ll delve into results in all areas, institutional & legal, stress reduction, private sector partnership and many other areas.
Some 300 plus GEF IW stakeholders, including many IW Project managers, but also government representatives, NGO’s and GEF Agency staff will convene. Targeted workshops will feature the work of the rest of GEF IW:LEARN3 to date, namely in the areas of revising the TDA-SAP Course Revision and Methodology as well as the Project Implementation Guide and work on Private Sector Partnerships. Also importantly, another targeted workshop will be aimed at information management officers and staff from several GEF IW projects in what will be our second ICT training workshop of the year. All in all, a busy time for the project but also for the portfolio.
Incidentally, year 2012 will not be an off-year for our portfolio. The project will deliver the first-ever GEF IW Science Conference in 2012, approximately in September, to facilitate interaction between experts concerned with science and the management of different water body types. This innovative activity will be led by UNEP along with partners. The IWC6 will feature a kickoff event setting us on the road to this important activity.
For those of you joining us, we look forward to seeing you soon. For the rest, we hope you’ll follow us at www.iwlearn.net/iwc2011 as we share and disseminate the key results from this family reunion.
IW:LEARN Project Manager
The 'Stockholm Statement' calls on leadership at all levels of government that will participate at the Rio+20 Summit (4-6 June 2012) to commit to achieving "universal provisioning of safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and modern energy services by the year 2030" and to adopt concrete intervening targets to increase efficiency in the management of water, energy and food.
4 August 2011: The World Bank approved a US$8.75 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to establish trust funds for the long-term conservation and management of over 100,000 hectares of marine habitat in the Eastern Caribbean. The Eastern Caribbean is among the top five global biodiversity hot spots in the world, due to its marine and coastal ecosystems.
21 September 2011: The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has released the "Second Assessment of Transboundary Rivers, Lakes and Groundwaters," which underlines that the status of transboundary waters is improving in many parts of the UNECE region thanks to the efforts to protect waters and the environment.
[Caribbean LME Project] The TDA is a widely-used tool within GEF International Waters Projects to provide a scientifically objective assessment of the causes of the main problems affecting transboundary and shared ecosystems. According to the recent draft version of the Regional TDA, delivered by the TDA/SAP consultant, Peter Whalley, the Wider Caribbean Region contains over 12,000 species reported by the Census of Marine Life; about 118 marine invasive species are recorded and is home to over 185 species of water birds. Almost 25 million tourists travelled to the Caribbean during the year 2000 and more than US$ 500 million was the value in 2006 of the total fisheries landings from the WCR. The annual value of ecosystem services provided by Caribbean coral reefs has been estimated at between US$3.1 billion and US$4.6 billion, with degradation by 2015 potentially costing between US$350 million and US$870 million per year.
[ASCLME and SWIOFP Projects] The ASCLME and SWIOFP Projects will be holding a Joint Project Steering Committee Meeting from 27th to 30rd September 2011 at the Hotel VIP Grand in Maputo, Mozambique. This will be the second joint steering committee meeting of the two projects and marks an increasingly close working relationship between these two GEF-funded projects working in the western Indian Ocean region.
[Croatia APCP] During the 19th International Autumn Fair in Bjelovar Gudovac 10th September 2011.Agricultural chamber and APCP team held a roundtable - "Good Agricultural Practices - Nitrates directive." The aim of the roundtable was to inform farmers about current environmental issues and the legalization of illegally constructed buildings.
[PEMSEA] Busan, RO Korea — PEMSEA is at a crucial transformation stage. The 4th East Asian Seas Partnership Council which met in Busan, RO Korea, last 11-14 July 2011 focused on the key aspects of PEMSEA's tranformation including the 5-Year SDS-SEA Implementation Plan, the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) Re-engineering Plan, the PEMSEA Financial Sustainability Plan, and the PEMSEA Advocacy and Communication Plan.
[MedPartnership] The Regional Conference on Advancing Non-Conventional Water Resources Management in the Mediterranean, which is the first replication event of the MedPartnership, will take place on 14-15 September 2011 in Athens, Greece.
The Equator Initiative is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the Equator Prize 2012, which will recognize 25 outstanding local initiatives that are working to advance sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities.
A first place project grant of $20,000 is on the line; the opportunity to land a video on National Geographic’s The Ocean website; a special event held in Washington, D.C. to honor the winning innovation; access to a global network of community fisheries and conservation leaders; and the chance for Rare and others to help you replicate your success around the world to start turning the tide for coastal communities and marine ecosystems.
On the occasion of World Rivers Day, the IUCN Water Programme is pleased to announce the launch of its new Water and Nature Initiative (WANI) website. The website contains a treasure trove of knowledge on Integrated Water Resource Management and solutions for people and ecosystems.
This issue features the Global Outlook on Methane Gas Hydrates Project. The United Nations Environment Programme via its collaborating center in Norway, UNEP/GRID-Arendal, is halfway through the project UNEP Global Outlook on Methane Gas Hydrates.
The IAEA’s water experts have published a unique series, the Atlas of Isotope Hydrology, including volumes devoted to regions of Africa, the Americas, as well as Asia and the Pacific, and the first national Atlas that profiles Morocco.
Thanks to an innovative partnership between the Global Water Partnership and the IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy & Science, under the auspices of UNESCO, based at the University of Dundee, the first joint group of International Water Law Scholars from Cameroon, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Ukraine and Zambia were able to begin their studies by attending the 2nd Annual Workshop on International Law and Transboundary Freshwaters, held at the University of Dundee.
Partner/Collaborator News Many countries are failing to implement vital United Nations (UN) resolutions designed to protect vulnerable deep-sea species and ecosystems, according to two reports released today ahead of a debate on deep-sea fisheries by the UN in New York (15–16 September).
The critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin population in the Mekong River numbers just 85, WWF research has revealed. Calf survival was found to be very low, leading researchers to conclude that the small population is declining and at high risk of extinction.
Scenario Generation using Geographical Information System (GIS) based Hydrological Modelling for a Multijurisdictional Indian River Basin
Lack of information about the futuristic scenarios of possible water allocations acts as a deterrent in resolving the conflicts pertaining to transboundary watercourses. It is increasingly being felt that technology, in the form of simulation modelling, has a very significant role to play in this context.
LiveROMS is a bootable DVD that contains an Linux-based computer operating system which has a complete, functioning version of the ROMS ocean circulation model and an Octave version of ROMSTOOLS. It allows students and scientists to experiment with this ocean numerical model, with just a basic knowledge of Linux. (Geophysics Department, University of Concepcion, Chile)
GloBallast: Still possible to register for the IMO-GloBallast R&D Forum in Istanbul, Turkey, 26-28 October. www.ballast2011.com
GloBallast: Still possible to register for the IMO-GloBallast R&D Forum in Istanbul, Turkey, 26-28 October. www.ballast2011.com
New Projects and Documents
A GEF IW Results Note is a 1-2 page summary sheet of results from a GEF IW Project (at any given phase of the project). Results notes link closely to the GEF IW Tracking Tool, which remains the principle direct monitoring and evaluation tool for the GEF Secretariat to monitor project progress. The Results Notes provide an important basis for portfolio learning and preparing the IWC6 in October 2011.
The CLME Bulletin N°4 was possible thanks to the cooperation of all the organizations involved in the CLME. Special thanks to UNEP- Caribbean Environment Programme and CORALINA for the news provided.
The aim of the newsletter is to contribute to enhanced knowledge among coastal communities to make better choices regarding their coastal and marine resources. Additionally, it provides knowledge to a wider audience interested in coastal and marine issues, development and management. The DLIST newsletter is a gateway into the DLIST ASCLME www.dlist-asclme.org and DLIST BCLME www.dlist-benguela.org web-based platforms. These web-based platforms hold much more information relating to coastal and marine environments in these regions.
The TDA is an important step towards elaboration of the SAP that will consitute the technical foundation for the signing of important agreements among the three capital Member States of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin. These agreements will allow OKACOM to have successful examples of participatory management of this important river basin and be assured that the countries who depend on its resources receive the best return on investment made in a sustainable and equitable manner.
Ecosystem Approaches in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) A Review of Transboundary River Basins
Dimple Roy, Jane Barr, and Henry David Venema International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) In Partnership with the UNEP-DHI Centre for Water and Environment. August 2011. The research aimed to provide a detailed review of selected transboundary basins to ascertain the application of ecosystem-based approaches and draw specific lessons for effective integrated water resources management in international contexts. Selected basins represent Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and West Asia, showcasing regional variables and a range of ecosystem service vulnerabilities. They focus on ES relevant to basin management, including climate regulation, water regulation, natural hazard regulation, energy, freshwater nutrient cycling, water purification and waste treatment, disease regulation, primary production, fisheries and recreation, and ecotourism. The analysis highlights whether or not management approaches recognize and incorporate bundled ES, such as uplands watershed management through afforestation, which addresses the combined services of climate regulation, water regulation, and water quality.
In order to safeguard the lake Tanganyika and its natural resources, the LTA NEWSLETTER, Newsletter of Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA), is an innovative inclusive approach to lead the relations between the state and non state stakeholders as well as getting informed on the capacity of local stakeholders. To effectively manage and protect the natural resources in the areas of the Basin of Lake Tanganyika, the quality of information is now available for management interventions. If you would like to submit an article for the next issue of LTA Newsletter please contact: AlainG@unops.org
E-News Bulletin from the Gulf of Mexico LME Project.
Events in October 2011
9 - 14 October Mumbai, India
11 - 12 October Marseille, France
ACQUA ALTA 2011: Exhibition and International Conference on Climate Impact, Flood Protection and Hydraulic Engineering
11 - 13 October Hamburg,German
12 - 14 October Pretoria, South Africa
12 - 13 October Dresden, Germany
12 - 14 October El Jedida, Morocco
13 - 15 October Dubrovnik, Croatia
13 - 15 October Beijing, China
21st International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), 8th International Micro Irrigation Congress, and 62nd ICID IEC Meeting
15 - 23 October Tehran, Iran
17 - 20 October Dubrovnik, Croatia
18 - 21 October Tokyo, Japan
International Symposium on Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources in Arid and Semi-arid Regions
21 - 23 October Xi'an, China
24 - 27 October Barcelona, Spain
25 October Brussels, Belgium
25 - 26 October Paris, France
25 - 29 October Rhodes, Greece
26 -29 October Marrakech, Morocco
26 - 28 October Istanbul, Turkey
27 - 28 October Bangkok, Thailand
29 October - 4 November Amsterdam, Netherlands
30 October - 3 November Amman, Jordan
31 October - 4 November Austin, Texas
Events in November 2011
1 November Bonn, Germany
World Ocean Week in Xiamen (XWOW 2011): Land-Sea Use Integration for Sustainable Marine Economy: Planning for Sustainable Marine Economy Development
4 - 10 November Xiamen, PR China
7 - 9 November Moscow, Russia
7 - 12 November (Online)
10 - 15 November New Taipei City, Taiwan
15 - 17 November Tel Aviv, Israel
16 - 18 November Bonn, Germany
20 - 23 November Cairo, Egypt
21 - 24 November Panama City, Republic of Panama
21 - 24 November Kuala Lumpur,, Malaysia
25 - 29 November Porto de Galinhas/PE, Brazil
Second International UNESCO/UCI 2011 Conference on Groundwater Resources Management: Adaptation Measures to Water Scarcity – Science and Policy Responses
30 November - 3 December Irvine, California, USA
Vacancies and Requests for Proposals
The Latin America and Caribbean Region Environment and Water Resources Unit (LCSEN) is seeking a highly qualified Senior Water Resources Specialist to contribute to the Unit’s work on water resources management and irrigation. The specialist will provide technical expertise on a variety of water resources and irrigation issues related to investment operations, development policy loans, and other instruments, such as Technical Assistance, fee-based services and other analytical and advisory work (Application Deadline: 11 October 2011).
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is seeking the skilled specialist to provide technical advice on the coastal ecosystems and in particular to the coastal wetlands, coastal sanddunes, mangrove forest and fringing coral reef ecosystems, and its rehabilitation and active management in order to optimally fulfil its ecosystem function of coastal flooding attenuation (Application Deadline: 20 October 2011).
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on behalf of the Government of Seychelles seeks a Water Resources Management and Project Design Specialist to provide short-term technical services in support of the Ecosystem Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Seychelles Project by preparing an Adaptation Fund Full Project Proposal. The Specialist will lead a team in the final design of the project and will provide specific technical inputs on Water Resource Management (Application Deadline: 20 October 2011).
Under the general supervision of the Resident Representative and reporting to the concerned Sector Division Manager at Bank Headquarters on technical issues, the incumbent will support the Rwanda Country Office activities in the Water Sector and carry out any other responsibilities as may be assigned to him/her (Application Deadline: 21 October 2011).
UNEP’s Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI) works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and advisory services for the implementation of environmental law and policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This post is located in the Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch (PCDMB) of UNEP/DEPI in Juba, South Sudan (Application Deadline: 24 October 2011).
WWF Greater Mekong Programme Office (WWF-GMPO) is seeking to recruit well-qualified and experienced manager. The Manager will take the overall leading for the programe of work contributing to the Strategy and Objectives of the WWF-GMPO Strategic Plan (Application Deadline: 25 October 2011).
New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) is seeking motivated individual to fill role of Environmental Analyst. This position will operate with substantial independence of action and delegation of professional decisions within his or her area of activity and consult with Director of Water Resource Protection and other staff on certain matters of policy. The Director of Water Resource Protection will evaluate job performance (Application Deadline: 28 October 2011).
WWF, the world’s leading conservation organization, seeks a Vice President and Chief Scientist to lead the Conservation Science Program and the organization’s global conservation science efforts. The VP & Chief Scientist articulates WWF’s vision and shapes WWF’s agenda for conservation science, working with a core team of 30 scientists and collaborating with a global network of more than 400 WWF scientists (Application Deadline: 31 October 2011).