Press release, Global Water Partnership, 19th June 2008
Five countries in Central Asia and Caucasus − Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan − were today accredited by the Global Water Partnership Headquarters in Stockholm as official Country Water Partnerships. This means that the partners in each of these countries have organized themselves with agreed principles to serve as independent NGOs aiming at implementing integrated water resources management in their countries. GWP countries in the region also include Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is a worldwide action network with a mission to support countries in the sustainable management of their water resources. Being a neutral platform, GWP bring stakeholders together from diverse sectors in constructive dialogues. Created in 1996, the network spans over 65 countries in 13 regions.
Martin Walshe, acting GWP Executive Secretary says that:
− This has been an ongoing process since 2002, and the creation of these five country water partnerships represents a landmark in the move towards improving the water resources management in the region where water resources have been undervalued and polluted for decades.
In the last 15 years countries have started to move away from a command management towards participatory and sustainable management of their water resources where stakeholders from various sectors contribute. This typically entails improving governance and reforming the institutions responsible for water, building capacity and raising public awareness as well as increasing political commitment to addressing critical challenges.
Partnerships serve as a convening mechanism in these reform processes since they provide a platform for all stakeholders and address the water problems at both regional and national levels based on the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management.
More information and the mission of the new Country Water Partnerships is available at the Global Water Partnership website: www.gwpforum.org.
Contact:
Vadim Sokolov
Regional Coordinator GWP CACENA
Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia
Tel: (998 71) 265 25 55
E-mail: vadim@icwc-aral.uz
Björn Guterstam
GWP CACENA Network Officer
GWP Secretariat
Tel. +46 (0)8 522 126 49, +46 (0)70 492 52 06
E-mail: bjorn.guterstam@gwpforum.org
Five new Country Water Partnerships in GWP CACENA region:
Armenia Country Water Partnership (CWP)
With a mission to assist an introduction and implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management in Armenia, the Armenia CWP has gathered a diverse and representative base of 16 registered Partners. They represent sectors of water resources, environment, health, agriculture (irrigation) including government agencies and Parliament together with NGOs, academic and engineering organizations, and the private sector.
Georgia Country Water Partnership (CWP)
The CWP has gathered a diverse and representative base of 19 registered Partners. They represent sectors of environment, natural and water resources, including government agencies and Parliament, together with several NGOs such as women organizations, and academic and engineering organizations.
Kazakhstan Country Water Partnership (CWP)
The CWP has together with members of the GWP regional technical committee and later (in 2006) the regional GWP council members organized several IWRM activities in Kazakhstan, in particular during the years of the project of the National IWRM and Water Efficiency Plan, 2004-2007 (Norway and UNDP Kazakhstan)
Kyrgyzstan Country Water Partnership (CWP)
The main objective of the CWP is full coverage, transparency, objectivity and solidarity of organizations – all accredited members of GWP CACENA – that work for the implementation of IWRM. The CWP has gathered a diverse and representative base of 19 registered Partners. They represent sectors of water resources, agriculture (Irrigation, Water Users Associations), environment, economics, including government agencies, and NGOs.
Tajikistan Country Water Partnership (CWP)
On 29 February 2008, 36 representatives of stakeholders and GWP CACENA partners in Tajikistan came together and founded the Country Water Partnership of Tajikistan at a meeting in the Capital of Dushanbe. The formal foundation of CWP Tajikistan is a sign of recognition of GWP’s convening power to provide a platform for all stakeholders.
The Global Water Partnership (GWP), established in 1996, is an intergovernmental network open to all organizations involved in water resources management – government institutions, agencies of the United Nations, bilateral and multilateral development banks, professional associations, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, community groups and the private sector. The GWP mission is to support countries in the sustainable management of their water resources. Integrated management of water resources aims to ensure the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources in order to maximize economic and social welfare – without compromising the sustainability of vital environmental systems. The GWP network works in 13 regions: Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, the Mediterranean, Central and Eastern Europe, Caribbean, Central America, South America, China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, South Asia and Southeast Asia. The GWP Secretariat is located in Stockholm, Sweden. The GWP receives financial contributions from Canada, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and U.S.A. |