Global Water Partnership at the 5th World Water Forum

GWP in the 5^th World Water Forum sessions

Adaptation to Climate Change: waiting for things to happen or trying to be prepared?

Session Convener: GWP and UNEP

Chair in Part I (8.30-10.30): Dr. Letitia A. Obeng, GWP Chair

Speaker in Part I: Roberto Lenton, Chair, GWP Technical Committee

Panelist in Part I: Mr. Chowdhury, GWP South Asia Steering Committee member

GWP Southeast Asia presents a paper on Disaster Management prepared under the coordination of Dr. Mohd Nor.

The overall climate change context is clear: if mitigation is about energy, adaptation is about land and water. Climate change impacts us directly through water, but also indirectly through human activities which depend on water. The Session will look for solutions to the process of moving from rhetoric ('why' and 'what') to practical guidelines for action ('how' and 'when') in planning adaptation to climate change, with a focus on impacts to and through land and water.

Tuesday 17th 8.30-13.00

Alan Hall (GWP) and Michael Rouse (International Water Association - IWA) are the coordinators of Topic 4.2 (Institutional arrangements and regulatory approaches for effective water management), including five sessions covering institutions and planning, regulation, management in federal countries, regulation for controlling risks, and improving openness and transparency.

Session 4.2.1

The big picture: how to make institutions and plans deliver progress?

Session Convener: GWP and IWA

Speaker in Part I: Aly Kerdany, GWP Network Officer, on IWRM and national development planning

Chair in Part II (11.00-13.00): Martin Walshe, GWP Deputy Executive Secretary

In Part II: GWP Southeast Asia presents a paper on River Basin Management, prepared under the coordination of Dr. Dao Trong Tu.

This session will give an overview of key governance and institutional issues, including how to mainstream water management in national development planning so it has a higher government priority. Institutional structures and planning systems at both national and local levels will be reviewed to identify the success factors in delivering better water services and more integrated and sustainable resource management.

Tuesday 17th 08.30-10.30

The Role of Women in Irrigated Agriculture: Experiences from Turkey and Sri Lanka
Panel includes GWP Sri Lanka
Venue/Room: Sutluce/Haskoy Hall

Tuesday 17th 14.30-19.00, Session 4.2.3

River basin management in federated countries: is this realistic?

Speaker in Part II: Suresh Prabhu, Chair of GWP South Asia, on Implementation of IWRM in Federated Countries���� India

In countries with federal systems of government there are multiple sovereignties over water and responsibilities are decentralised to different levels of authority. The session will look at how to use an integrated approach to coordinate and balance responsibilities across the different levels to clarify who is responsible for what. The legal frameworks that are needed to help overcome conflicting interests and to encourage public participation will be examined. The need to understand the practical experiences will be addressed, drawing on experiences adopted in federal countries.

______________________________________

Wednesday 18th 8.30-13.00

Africa Day: GWP is chief rapporteur. Hama Arba Diallo, Chair of GWP West Africa, presents the report.

Wednesday 18th 8.30h-12.00

Panel: Beyond Water Bribes - How to Build a Corruption-Resistant Water Sector

Venue: Room 1, Sutluce Carpark, Chaired by Dr. Letitia A. Obeng, GWP Chair

Wednesday 18th 09.30-13.00

Climate change, Water Resources Management, Governance and Capacity Building issues in Central Asia and Caucasus

Venue: Sutluce/Kasimpasa 1-2, Side Event co-hosted by GWP Central Asia and Caucasus and Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs

______________________________________

Thursday 19th 8.30-10.30

Session 4.2.6 - Wrap up and conclusions for Topic 4.2

Chair: Dr. Ania Grobicki, GWP Executive Secretary, Panelist: Suresh Prabhu, Chair of GWP South Asia

Thursday 19th 8.30-13.00

GWP MED is co-organising the Mediterranean Session.

Thursday 19th 16.00-17.00

Panelist: Dr. Mercy Dikito-Wachtmeister, GWP Network Officer, o�����Strategic and thematic partnerships for water integrity and reduction of corruption��� at the WIN Side Even�����Beyond the Global Corruption Report 2008: Promoting Water Integrity through Partnershi����� (14 to 18hrs) at the Swiss Platform in the Expo Hall.

______________________________________

Friday 20th 8.30-13.00

Asia Pacific Day: GWP South Asia submitted a Perspective document and contributed to the thematic and Ministerial process. GWP Bangladesh has a role in (1) Transboundary Water and River Basin Management and (2) Climate Change. GWP Pakistan has a side event on showcasing partnerships at different levels in Pakistan and in the South Asia Region, and is fielding a delegation of three children to attend the 3rd Childr�����s World Water Forum and present a case study of Gujjar Khan, Rawalpindi. GWP China participates in the Forum with four delegates together with the Chinese Ministry for Water.

Friday 20th 14.30-19.00, Session 3.2.2

Meeting human and environmental needs through Integrated Water Resources Management: A Step Ahead: Improving water management by anticipating change?

Session Convener: GWP, GEF (Global Environment Facility), CONAGUA (Mexico National Water Commission)

Chair in Part II: Roberto Lenton

With increasing competition over limited water resources, governments have begun to accept the concept of integrated resource management as a fundamental approach to resource allocation issues, steering away from sectoral approaches. A sustainable management policy requires socio-economic, technical and institutional issues to be considered together and not separately, and at different scal�����this can prove challenging as the energy, agriculture and urban sectors compete against each other for water resources. 

______________________________________

Saturday 21st 8.30-10.30, Topic 2.4

Multiple Use and Functions of Water Services: Wrap up Session

Panelist: Martin Walshe, GWP Deputy Executive Secretary

Saturday 21st 11.00-13.00

Corruption and water related disasters in Sri Lanka

Panel includes GWP Sri Lanka, Venue: Sutluce/Kasimpasa 1 Hall

Saturday 21st 19.00-21.00

UN Water Courses Convention

Venue: Feshane F5

Panelist: Dr. Letitia A. Obeng, GWP Chair

GWP-Bangladesh co-hosts a side event on �����Impacts of Climate Change on water related disasters in South Asia.���

GWP Participation in the 5th WWF