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Knowledge Documents

Formerly entitled "Lessons Learned," this section of the site contains documents, reports and project case studies in GEF focal areas, developed by various GEF stakeholders. These documents enable projects to share their experiences in international water management with other IW projects in their region and worldwide.
FileEcosystem 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.
FileAdaptation to Climate Change in the Kura-Aras River Basin
The Kura-Aras River Basin Snapshot: assessing the needs for adaptation to climate change in the South Caucasus. This basin snapshot aims at assessing historical trends and future projections in the context of climate change compared to other impacts on the water balance in the basin. It also evaluates strategies by national governments and donors for climate change adaptation and identifies critical obstacles to these strategies. Finally, it assesses the scope for no regret measures and possible new measures for climate change adaptation. Although the river basin is shared by five countries, the snapshot concentrates on the South Caucasus states Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, which largely depend on water from the basin. This snapshot is part of a series of basin snapshots in developing countries edited by KfW on behalf of the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The river basin is characterized
FileVirtual water transfers unlikely to redress inequality in global water use
The virtual water required to support international trade is the volume of water used to produce, but not necessarily contained within, a unit mass of agricultural and industrial goods (Allan 1998, Chapagain and Hoekstra 2004). The concept of virtual water is analogous to the concepts of embodied carbon and embodied energy (Lenzen 2009).
FileThe Global Dimension of Water Governance: Why the River Basin Approach Is No Longer Sufficient and Why Cooperative Action at Global Level Is Needed
The paper is based on the premise that any water system is an inseparable part of the environmental system as a whole and that the societal and environmental systems are inextricably bound up with each other as well. There is plenty of evidence that use of and changes to water systems cannot be understood separately from land use [1-3], spatial planning [4-5], soil management [6], climate change [7], demographic developments [8], economic consumption and production [9], public health [10], environmental management [11,12], international trade [13], politics [14], development cooperation [15] and national security [16,17]. In line with this understanding, it is assumed that ‗water governance‘ (the manner in which people deal with water) should be understood as an integral part of governance in a much broader sense. ‗Governance‘ in its general sense refers to the processes and systems through which a society operates. It relates to the broad social system of governing, which includes, but is not restricted to, the narrower perspective of government as the main decision-making political entity. Governance refers to both formal and informal structures, procedures and processes. According to the Global Water Partnership, ‗water governance‘ refers to the range of political, social, economic and administrative systems that are in place to develop and manage water resources, and the delivery of water services, at different levels of society [18]. The term ‗water governance‘ is preferred here above the term ‗water management‘ because the latter is mostly used in the traditional context of governments managing water systems, supply and demand, while we explicitly aim to take a broader perspective.
FileClimate change adaptation tools for the water sector (Ludwig, Swart)
Presentation by Fulco Ludwig, Rob Swart Earth System Science and Climate Change group Wageningen UR Given at the Deltas in Times of Climate Change Conference, September 2010
FileWhat Will it Cost to Adapt to Climate Change? (Hughes)
Presentation by Gordon Hughes, World Bank at the Delta in Times of Climate Change Conference, September 2010
FileGEF Engagement in the Mediterranean Region
Protecting the environment is a central concern of both the Union for the Mediterranean (UPM)1 and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Indeed, as the underlying links between the environment and sustainable development are clearer than ever, the countries of the Mediterranean have emphasized the importance of integrating environmental concerns into their future development. As evidenced in this report, the GEF has financed projects in the Mediterranean region that preserve and enhance the quality of its natural environment. We are pleased to see that the goals and priorities identified by the UPM are in harmony with those of the GEF. In order to increase the quality of life, create jobs, and stimulate sustainable economic growth, UPM priorities focus on cooperation to provide new foundations for effective development, including: preserving valuable terrestrial and marine ecosystems; addressing climate change; sustainably managing water, soil, and energy as well as tourism, agriculture, and industrial activities. The UPM and the GEF each have projects under preparation. The GEF projects are consistent with the objectives of the UPM and are a natural outgrowth of the strong desire of Mediterranean countries to address their common environmental agenda. The cooperation of countries in the region on environmental matters for over two decades has led to significant achievements. In concert with the Mediterranean Basin riparians and the international aid community, the UPM and GEF will strengthen these regional efforts while fostering capacity building and technology transfer between the northern and southern rims.
Information sharing via the Aquatic Commons
The Aquatic Commons is a thematic digital repository covering the natural marine, estuarine/brackish and fresh water environments. The repository contains a growing collection of published and unpublished research, organizational publications, and other scholarly materials contributed by researchers, librarians and their institutions. It is directed by the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers (IAMSLIC) to provide visibility, usage and impact through global access to digital publications from worldwide marine and freshwater organizations that do not have access to an institutional repository of their own.
FileModels of the World’s Large Marine Ecosystems
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission technical series GEF/LME global project Promoting Ecosystem-based Approaches to Fisheries Conservation and Large Marine Ecosystems UNESCO 2008 * As submitted to IOC Technical Series, UNESCO, 22 October 2008 We present a new methodology for database-driven ecosystem model generation and apply the methodology to the world’s 66 currently-defined large marine ecosystems. The method relies on a large number of spatial and temporal databases, including FishBase, SeaLifeBase, as well as several other database developed as part of the Sea Around Us project. The models are formulated using the Ecopath with Ecosim modeling approach and software, and are made available to GEF/LME projects for further development. We tune the models by fitting to available time series data, but recognize that the models represent only a first-generation of database-driven ecosystem models. The biggest hurdles at present to further model development and validation are insufficient time series trend information, and data on spatial fishing effort. We will be further developing the models, as this is one of the major activities of the Sea Around Us project, and encourage GEF/LME projects to participate in the process, notably by enriching the models through addition of more local and regional data. We here use the models to summarize information about fisheries catch and value in the LMEs. Acknowledgements This activity was funded by the Global Environment Facility through the United Nations Environment Programme, through the UNESCO/IOC activity Promoting Ecosystem-based Approaches to Fisheries Conservation in LME’s (Global activity), Component 2.a (UNESCO Contract Number 4500039066). The activity was made possible through the activities and support of the Sea Around Us project, initiated and funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. We also thank the Lenfest Oceans Program for funding the redevelopment of the Ecopath with Ecosim software, a necessary requirement for the present activity. We further thank Dr Kenneth Sherman, NOAA, for defining the project scope through many interesting discussions, seeing it through the GEF funding process, as well as for his sustained support of the research and capacity building that this activity has resulted in.
FileBSERP Small Grants Programmes (Volovik / Karamushka)
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008. Yegor Volovik/Victor Karamushka Contents: Details on SGP Phase I Details on SGP Phase II Key outputs of BSERP SGPs Conclusions
FileAchievements and Results of Pilot Projects, Results and Scaling-up (Volovik)
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008.
FileBlack Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project 2004-2008 (Volovik)
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008. Contents:P Overview of BSERP Main Achievements & Results BSERP Final Report (DVD Version) Introduction of Final Evaluation Yegor Volovik
FileBSERP Exit Strategy (Volovik)
Contents: Exit Strategy Why Exit Strategy? Overview of BSERP outputs Recommendations Outstanding Issues Transfer of Goods Yegor Volovik
FileSustaining Results from the 15 Years of UNDP/GEF Interventions (Velikova)
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008. Violeta Velikova
FileRevision of the LBSA Protocol: UNEP's Involvement
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008. Rossana Silva Repetto Legal Officer, UNEP
FileResults of the Monitoring Activities for the Last 15 Years (Mihnea)
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008. -increase of institutional capacity of the countries for monitoring Radu Mihnea
FileBlack Sea Action Day (Akpinar)
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008. Nilufer Akpinar
FileAfter BSERP (Rizo)
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008. José RIZO European Commission Jose.rizo-martin@ec.europe.eu
FileNGO Support to the Process of Public Involvement and Participation (Gileva)
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008. Emma Gileva Black Sea NGO Network www.bseanetwork.org
FileActivitiesr elated to the Conservation of Biological Diversity in the Black Sea Region (Alexandrov)
Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008. Dr. Boris Alexandrov Odessa Branch, Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
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