IW News
Regional Approaches to Food and Water Security in the Face of Climate Challenges
The global focus on the threats posed by climate change has drawn attention to the fact that water will be the medium through which many of its impacts will be felt. In addition to the direct impacts of damaging floods and interruptions to water supply due to drought, a particular concern in many regions is the threat to food security, driven by changing rainfall patterns and increased aridity.
Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections Bulletin
A summary report of the Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections (GLOC) published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Yangtze Basin lakes shrinking as climate change, development takes its toll
Beijing - A new WWF study finds that many Yangtze River Basin lakes are shrinking dramatically and could dry up completely if measures aren’t taken to stem the impacts of climate change, increased industrialization, and urbanization along China’s longest river.
IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science and GWP announce International Water Law Scholarship Programme
The module is aimed at persons working in water resources who wish to acquire specialist knowledge of international water law, especially as it relates to transboundary water challenges in the GWP regions.
Groundwater Governance Project: Launch of Regional Consultation Workshops
In January 2011, the UNESCO-IHP - together with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) and the World Bank - initiated a new project on "Groundwater Governance: A Global Framework for Country Action". For this three-year project, UNESCO jointly with the partners, is working closely with the Member States, the main actors in the management of groundwater resources. Under the responsibility of the UNESCO-IHP network, the Regional Consultation Workshops (RCW) are a fundamental component of the Groundwater Governance project.
FFA FISHERIES TRADE NEWS Volume 4: Issue 12 December 2011
FFA FISHERIES TRADE NEWS Volume 4: Issue 12 December 2011 By Amanda Hamilton, Liam Campling, Elizabeth Havice[1] CONTENTS World Trade Organisation Outcomes from the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference Samoa accepted by Ministers as a WTO member Preferential Trade Agreements PACPs and the EC hold informal EPA discussions Fisheries Management PNA Skipjack Purse Seine fishery is awarded MSC certification Negotiations continue for renewal of the US Treaty PITIA expresses concerns over Southern Longline ...
DOST to undertake coral reef restoration in Southern Leyte
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Jan 12 (PIA) –- Coral reef restoration project is a program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) which started in 2005 and expected to end in 2020 aimed at rehabilitating existing ecotourism areas in the country.
How Green Investments in the Marine Sector Can Bring a Tide of Economic and Social Benefits
Representatives from over 70 governments, as well as scientists and marine experts from around the world, will meet in Manila, the Philippines, from 23-27 January 2012, for the Global Conference on Land-Ocean Connections and the Intergovernmental Review of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment (GPA).
Study Links Rising Ocean Acidification to CO2 Emissions
According to researchers from the University of Hawaii, ocean acidity levels in some regions have spiked more quickly in the last 200 years than in the preceding 21 thousand years.
IOI Successfully Conducts Training Programme for Regional Ocean Governance
Partner/Collaborator News The 5-week Training Programme (formerly the Training Programme on Regional Ocean Governance for Mediterranean and Eastern European Countries) was successfully organised in Malta for the seventh consecutive year in November-December 2011. read more
Technical guidelines for marine protected areas and fisheries
The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has just published FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries. on the management of marine protected area and fisheriesThe document has been developed to provide information and guidance on the use of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the context of fisheries, looking specifically at fisheries features of MPAs as well as addressing the interface between fisheries management and biodiversity conservation and provide support for MPAs with multiple ...
UN calls for combining energy access with anti-poverty projects in Asia
Services that combine access to modern energy for heating, cooking and electricity, with measures that generate cash, supplement incomes and improve health and education would be the most effective energy solutions in Asia and the Pacific, according to United Nations analysis released today.
UN invites proposals for host of new climate technology centre
The secretariat of the United Nations climate change convention today invited proposals for hosting the climate technology centre as requested by Governments at a UN conference held last year in the South African city of Durban.
More Than 60 Dolphins Wash Ashore in Cape Cod
Volunteers and experts race to save those healthy enough to return to the ocean.
Are the Ballast Water Stars Finally Aligning? http://t.co/cMQXXl93
Ballast water was first recognized by the scientific community as a vector for transfer of potentially invasive marine species more than 30 years ago. It took a number of years, and acceptance that zebra mussels had reached the Great Lakes in the ballast water of ships arriving from the Black Sea, before the maritime industry generally acknowledged that they were part of the problem. Initially, high seas ballast water exchange was the only available means for removing potentially invasive species from the tanks. That methodology presented risks to the stability of the ship (and the safety of the crew), as illustrated by the near-loss of the car carrier Cougar Ace in 2006 in waters of the North Pacific Ocean just south of the Aleutian Chain. The search for alternative means of reducing the risk of introduction of invasive marine species commenced immediately, but problems quickly arose.
Mud crab aquaculture - A practical manual
The last decade has seen a rapid expansion in the farming of several mud crab species in China, the Philippines and Viet Nam in particular. A new FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, Mud crab aquaculture - A practical manual, provides an introduction to all aspects of mud crab aquaculture.
Aquaculture in desert and arid lands: Developments and constraints
A recent FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Proceedings, Aquaculture in desert and arid lands: Developments and constraints, is now available online. Based on a FAO technical workshop, it highlights that aquaculture has great potential for expansion not only in marine offshore areas, but also in desert and arid lands (covering 20 percent of the world land mass) with surface and/or subsurface water resources.
Lake Tanganyika and the Greater Mahale Ecosystem
In fact, a recent survey conducted by Nature Conservancy social scientists concluded that 95% of GME households earn income from farming. Rapidly growing village populations are left with little choice but to expand their settlements and farms into the wild lands and clear forest and woodland for agriculture, fuel and timber. Steep hillsides are haphazardly farmed and the run-off, heavy with sediment, fills coastal zones and pushes near-shore fishery production—the source of 40% of the protein for local families—into decline.
Arpa reconnaissance visit
On 9 and 10 December 2011the UNDP/GEF Kura-Aras project Demonstration Project Coordinator and IWRM Coordinator visited the Arpa river basin in the south of Armenia. Together with the National Coordinator for Armenia and the Deputy Head of the Armenian Environmental Impact monitoring Centre they made a rapid assessment of general landscape features, land & water use issues in the basin, and collected water samples at the EIMC standard sites.
Theme for Week 2, 2012: The Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
This week as we return to the regular work schedule we are focusing on the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA). The TDA is a document in both English and Russian that focuses on the major perceived problems in issues that are transboundary in nature in the Kura and Aras Basin.
Theme for Week 3, 2012: Integrated Water Resource Management
Everyone uses water. We use it to drink, to bath, for clearing away our wastes, we use it for industry, for agriculture, for transportation, for recreation, for heating, and cooling, creating energy, and more and more things than we can imagine. But water is a fragile resource, and management of water requires an effort that protects, preserves, shares and benefits from our water resources.
Upcoming Road Trip for Project Team
In the next several weeks, teams from the project will be conducting site visits throughout Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. We will be exploring sites where the project will be conducting biomonitoring and rapid ecological assessments for environmental flow data over the next 2 years. So we will be following the river, and exploring the basin.
A message from the Head of GEF International Waters on why GEF is interested in the Kura Aras Basin
During the 6th Global Environment Facility International Waters Conference, Project Coordinator Mary Matthews posed the question “Why is the Global Environmental Facility interested in the Kura Aras Basin?” to the head of GEF International Waters, Albert Duda. Play video above to hear the answer.The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is the key funding source for the UNDP/GEF Kura Aras River Basin Project in coordination with co-funding through the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Thank you Mr. Duda.
UN calls for achieving sustainable energy for all as International Year kicks off
As the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All kicked off today, United Nations officials called on governments, the private sector and civil society to help expand energy access, improve efficiency and increase the use of renewables.
UN partners with European Commission to promote ‘climate-smart' agriculture
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Commission are teaming up to help Malawi, Viet Nam and Zambia transition to a "climate-smart" approach to agriculture.
ICRI General Meeting Adopts Resolutions on Coral Reefs and Rio+20
15 December 2011: The 26th General Meeting of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) adopted resolutions on the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). The Rio+20 resolution encourages ICRI members to support the inclusion of references to the conservation and sustainable management of all coral reefs, in the conference outcome document. The other resolution suspends ICRAN.
A Handbook of Global Freshwater Invasive Species
Edited by Robert A. Francis, King's College London, UK. "This Handbook is a must-read for anyone seriously concerned with aquatic invasions. Its detailed yet readable accounts of impacts and management approaches for important introduced plants, animals, and parasites will serve as authoritative references for years to come." Daniel Simberloff, Nancy Gore Hunger Professor of Environmental Studies, University of Tennessee and Editor-in-Chief, Biological Invasions
New GWP Technical Committee Members
The GWP Technical Committee consists of up to 12 internationally recognised professionals selected for their experience in different disciplines relating to integrated water resources management. The Committee Chair is Dr Mohamed Ait-Kadi of Morocco.
The Agricultural Pollution Control Project is launching two national important studies
The study, "Determination of the nitrate vulnerable zones and the economic impact of the Nitrates Directive in the Republic" and study "Evaluation of the implementation of agri-environmental measures" are financed by the project.
International Water Law Scholarship Programme
The Global Water Partnership together with IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, under the auspices of UNESCO, at the University of Dundee, is looking to build on their successful 2011 International Water Law Programme , and offer scholarships for 30 participants to undertake a module in International Water Law, in Dundee 11-29 June 2012.
Transboundary Waters, Climate Change and Good Governance
A joint position paper from GWP West Africa and GWP Mediterreanean, in view of Rio+20 in 2012.
Conflict Resolution in Vietnam
Conflicts over water resources exist in Vietnam as in many parts of the world where a large population have to share scarce water resources. To tackle these issues, GWP Vietnam organized a workshop on 29th November 2011, in Hanoi, to discuss solutions through and integrated approach to Food-Water-Energy Security.
Basin Management Guidelines for Nicaragua
GWP Central America signed an agreement with the National Water Authority of Nicaragua (Autoridad Nacional del Agua - ANA) to help prepare guidelines for basin management plans. The agreement, signed October 14, 2011, is a contribution to the implementation of the Water Law approved in 2007.
Economic Model for the Aral Sea
A USAID project to develop a regional economic model for the integrated use of Aral Sea basin water resources was granted to a consortium of DHI, COWI and GWP Central Asia and Caucasus (GWP CACENA), with GWP CACENA being asked to coordinate the project. A working meeting was held on 7-9 December 2011 to elaborate specific assignments for national experts from five countries.
Stakeholders for a Sava River Basin Plan
A River Basin Management Plan of the Sava river basin is under development, the first attempt in the Southern European region to draft a River Basin Management Plan according to the EU Water Framework Directive. GWP Mediterranean has acted as the project manager for the process and two GWP Central and Eastern European (GWP CEE) partners in Slovakia and Slovenia have provided consultancy for the development of the Plan.
Launch of Benthic Atlas
The pioneering Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat: GeoHAB Atlas of Seafloor Geomorphic Features and Benthic Habitats was released in December.
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