Copy
Cap-Net UNDP Monthly Newsletter
In this issue: 
 
  1. Global ToT on Human Rights based Approach to Sustainable Water Management – 6 to 10 October, 2014, San Jose, Costa Rica.
  2. Cap-Net UNDP presence at Stockholm World Water Week 2014 – 31 August to 5 September 2014, Stockholm, Sweden.
  3. 15th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium - 29  to 31 October 2014, Lilongwe, Malawi.
  4. Training course on “Enhancing water negotiations and conflict management skills and fostering knowledge and understanding in international water law in Southern Africa” 11-20 November 2014, Johannesburg, South Africa.
  5. Cap-Net Welcomes Mr. Lai Chee Hui from Malaysia.
  6. Approved AguaJaring Activities for the year 2014.
  7. Water Video of the Month.
 
1) Global ToT on Human Rights based Approach to Sustainable Water Management – 6 to 10 October, 2014, San Jose, Costa Rica. 

A Global ToT on Human Rights based Approach to Sustainable Water Management will take place from 6 to 10 October, 2014, San Jose, Costa Rica. This training programme is jointly organised by REDICA, WaterLex and SIWI with the support of Cap-Net and is only opened to invited participants. 

Evidence has shown that poverty and inequality can be traced to global water issues, sanitation and water management. This is also exacerbated by social and environmental challenges accelerating urbanization, climate change, and increasing pollution and depletion of water resources. In order to address this crisis, access to safe drinking water and sanitation within the human rights sphere must be addressed. The objective of the training is to bring together the participants through a human rights based approach towards achieving sustainable water management. The training will include the main topics such as "Human Rights-Based Water Rights, Water Governance and IWRM Principles.

Information regarding training topics can be downloaded here. 
Please contact Laura from REDICA for more information.

 
2) Cap-Net UNDP presence at Stockholm World Water Week 2014 – 31 August to 5 September 2014, Stockholm, Sweden. 

Cap-Net UNDP, and partners convened 4 side-events (3 seminars, and 1 working group meeting) during the Stockholm World Water Week 2014 from 31 August to 5 September. The seminars convened were:
 
a) “Water-Energy Nexus Capacity Development: Assessing Needs and Exploring Innovative Approaches”
b) “Earth Observations (EO) in Support of Sustainable Water Management”
c)  “World Water Day 2015: Water and Sustainable Development”.
 
In addition to that, Cap-Net UNDP organised a working group meeting to explore capacity development opportunities required in bridging technological innovations with experts and users (Cap-Tec initiative of Cap-Net).
 
Cap-Net UNDP also participated in the SIWI donor/partner meeting as representation of the Water and Ocean Governance Programme (WOGP). The meeting discussed on SIWI’s long term strategy, donor/partner key priorities and strategic collaboration on areas of mutual interest. SIWI’s long term strategy offers multiple entry points for collaboration with WOGP “Contribution to realising the UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017UNDP WOGP 2014-2017”.
 
For more information, please contact Cap-Net UNDP Director, Dr. Themba Gumbo. 

                 
 
 
3) 15th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium - 29  to 31 October 2014, Lilongwe, Malawi.

The 15th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA symposium will take place in Lilongwe, Malawi from 29th to 31st October 2014 with the theme 'IWRM for harnessing socio economic development in Eastern and Southern Africa.' The University of Malawi is the lead host of the 15th Symposium. The Symposium has been held annually for the past 15 years, with the aim to promote interaction among policymakers, academics, practitioners from water and related sectors, and cooperating partners. Together they identify regional issues, gaps and priorities that require further research and support. Emphasis will be placed on integration of knowledge, particularly involving scholars from the natural, medical and social sciences.
 
The brochure for the can be downloaded from this link.
 
Registration for participants for the 15th WaterNet/WAFSA/GWP-SA can be done online from this link.
Contact Dr. Jean Marie Onema for more information.
 
                   

 
4) Training course on “Enhancing water negotiations and conflict management skills and fostering knowledge and understanding in international water law in Southern Africa” - 11 to 20 November 2014, Johannesburg, South Africa.

On behalf of the SADC Water Division, WaterCap will facilitate a training course on water negotiations and conflict management and international water law between the 11th and 20th of November 2014 in Johannesburg South Africa. The course which will be financially supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and will comprise of two parts. The first part will focus on water negotiations and conflict management and the second part on international water law. The major objective of the training course is to equip decision-makers and water managers in the SADC region with appropriate water negotiation and conflict management knowledge and skills and to deepen their understanding on the Protocol on Shared Watercourses within the international water law framework. Participants will be nominated from Water Ministries from different SADC countries. For more information please contact Mr. Wangai Ndirangu. 


5) Cap-Net Welcomes Mr. Lai Chee Hui from Malaysia.
 
Cap-Net welcomes Mr. Lai Chee Hui from Malaysia. Lai joined Cap-Net as a Network Attachment in Monitoring and Evaluation for 3 months starting on the 1st of September 2014. He is currently a Master’s Degree candidate and a research officer in the field of sustainable water loss management in the Department of Geography, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Lai’s responsibilities in Cap-Net include coordinating the monitoring of outcomes and impacts of training programs conducted by Cap-Net affiliated regional and country networks, closely liaising with networks to gather reports and information and compile a report on monitoring and evaluation of Cap-Net capacity development activities from 2013-2014.

Lai is also an active member of Water Watch Penang (WWP), which is a water-based NGO and a member of MyCDNet in Malaysia that aims to promote study, awareness, knowledge, conservation, protection and the practice of a water saving society towards the sustainable development of water resources of the country. He can be contacted via email. 
 

6) Approved AguaJaring Activities for the year 2014.

An Aguajaring (AJ) Steering Committee Meeting was held on the 28th of February 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, where the revised AJ Constitution and Operational Guidelines were approved and declared taken effect immediately.During the meeting the new chairperson was selected for the 2014-2015 period. Hand-over of the chairperson also took place from the previous chairperson, Dr. Low Kwai Sim to the new chairperson Jan T.L. Yap who assumed his function as per 1st of March 2014 for a two-year period until February 2016.
 
The following activities were approved for the year 2014:
  • Dialogue on IWRM Capacity Needs and Implementation mechanisms;
  • Regional TOT for Effective Facilitation Skills in CB for the Water Sector;
  • Regional TOT cum Seminar on Integrated Lake Management;
  • Regional TOT on Water Footprint and IWRM. 
For more information please contact the new Aguajaring chairperson, Mr. Jan Yap T.L.

                  
 
                       
7) Water Video of the Month.
 
'Sand, Water, People, Profits by The Water Channel' by the Water Channel
 
If you look around (no matter where you are), it would be difficult to spot stuff that does not contain any sand. The electric bulbs in the room, glass on the window, the screen you are looking at, the concrete walls and ceiling...We need a lot of sand. And we use a lot. This has never seemed like a problem because sand seems abundant, and mining it seems like a benign activity. But if we really think about it, it is not difficult to see the key role sand plays as a component of the ecosystem. Excessive sand mining destabilizes rivers, leads to saline intrusion into freshwater, depletes groundwater tables and adversely affects agriculture. Besides, mining coastal beach sand is the last thing we should do amid rising sea levels. The key barrier to controlling sand mining lies in the politics and economics around it. Its classification as a low-value resource has led to lax regulations and low visibility in public discourse/scrutiny. Meanwhile, businesses backed by corrupt political forces continue to scrape riverbeds, beaches and seas.