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In this issue: 
  1. UN-Water Conference on Water and Energy - 13 to 16 January, Zaragoza, Spain.
  2. Training of Trainers (TOT) in the use of Earth Observation Tools for Water Quality Assessment - 17 to 21 February 2014, Nairobi, Kenya.
  3. WSP Training of Trainers Workshop -  25 to 27 February, 2014, Accra, Ghana.
  4. Regional Water Integrity ToT - 7 to 11 April 2014, Angra dos Reis, Brazil.
  5. Collaborative Programme on Water and Energy Capacity Development.
  6. Water Integrity Map for Latin America.
  7. Announcement: Change of AWARENET Coordinator.
  8. Announcement: TIGER Capacity Building Facility as a new Thematic Network of Cap-Net UNDP.
  9. Water Video of the Month.
 
1) UN-Water Conference on Water and Energy - 13 to 16 January, Zaragoza, Spain.
 
United Nations experts, case study representatives, industry delegates and key professionals from around the World gathered in the UN-Water Annual Zaragoza Conference from 13 to 16 January in preparation for World Water Day 2014. This annual conference focussed on the philosophy "Water and Energy work together, so do we". Water and energy (W&E) are closely interrelated and have an important role in the post-2015 development agenda and the conceptualization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr. Kees Leendertse of Cap-Net UNDP gave a presentation on ‘Effective partnerships at the opening session. The conclusions of the conference will be utilised to develop key messages for World Water Day 2014 campaign. Presentation of Mr. Kees Leendertse can be downloaded from this link.

       
2) Training of Trainers (TOT) in the use of Earth Observation Tools for Water Quality Assessment - 17 to 21 February 2014, Nairobi, Kenya.
 
As a part of the 70th anniversary celebration of the Tecnológico de Monterrey, el Centro del Agua para América Latina y el Caribe with the jointed effort by FEMSA foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Tecnológico de Monterrey, IWA and Cap-Net conducted the first regional Water Safety Plans (WSP) Training of Trainers which was conducted from 11th to 13th of November 2013 at Centro del Agua para América Latina y el Caribe venue in Monterrey, Mexico. The main objective is to capacitate country experts and local training institutions in facilitating Water Safety Plan (WSP) trainings and provide continuous support to its development and implementation. Participants attended were trainers/WSP champions, training institutes and utilities’ training centres. from Latin America and the Carribean. Participation/application is opened only to applicants from the African Region. 

For more information please contact:
Eric K Wamiti Email: ewamiti@yahoo.com or call 0722477771
Lorna Nyaga Email: lorna.nyaga@watercap.org or call 0727725253

                  

  
3) WSP Training of Trainers Workshop -  25 to 27 February, 2014, Accra, Ghana.
 
WSP Training of Trainers Workshop will be held at the Ghana Water Company Limited Training Institute, Accra, Ghana from 25 to 27 February, 2014. The objective of this ToT is to build capacity of country experts and local training institutions to provide training of Water Safety Plan as well as provide continuous support to WSP development and implementation. Target audience will be trainers and WSP champions, training institutes and utilities’ training centres. Participants will also get to strengthen their learning through a site visit to water supply facilities hosted by Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in Accra. In addition, all selected participants will receive online guidance and support after the workshop to aid them with their enquiries and difficulties in training and supporting WSP development and implementation.

                 
 
                     
4) Regional Water Integrity ToT - 7 to 11 April 2014, Angra dos Reis, Brazil.
 
A regional Training of Trainers course as part of a strategy to anchor capacities in Latin America, strengthen a critical mass of expertise, and through them facilitate a cascade effect which will generate new trainings for different target groups was identified as priority activity to promote water integrity in Latin America, as part of the mapping report developed by LA-WETnet and partners in 2013.
 
Countries of the region are adopting international anti-corruption instruments. Most of them have introduced good governance standards (transparency, participation, accountability and access to justice) and integrated water resources management as a management model. Nevertheless, levels of implementation differ, so in countries with a “hint” of governance the effect of commitment tends to be only “cosmetic”. This is extremely harmful because it turns the fight against corruption into a speech devoid of any real impact, and people seeking to eradicate the scourge of corruption tend to lose interest. Hence, it is crucial not only to participate in the promotion and adoption of anti-corruption policies but also to devise follow-up mechanisms for implementation processes, such as audits and institutional benchmarking.
 
The primary objective of the training of trainers is to prepare for change through increasing knowledge and awareness on integrity, accountability, and anti-corruption in water. After completing the training course, the participants should have:

a)      A conceptual grounding in the area of integrity, accountability and anti-corruption in water, its drivers and impacts on water as well as on poverty reduction and sustainable development;
b)      An overview of tools and methodologies to promote improved integrity and accountability in water regarding their applicability in Latin America;
c)      Examples of good practices relating to the promotion of integrity, accountability and anti-corruption in water.
 
The training of trainers is a collaborative activity of LA-WETnet, Cap-Net Brazil, UNDP Water Governance Facility at SIWI, and UNDP Regional Office in Panama. A maximum of 25 participants (15 from regional countries and 10 from Brazil) will take part in this course.
 
For more information please contact: damian.indij@cap-net.org

5) Collaborative Programme on Water and Energy Capacity Development
 
The water-energy perspective has emerged as a major policy and management instrument in local and international dialogues on sustainable development. The inextricable link between water and energy presents an opportunity to better manage two important global resources (and other related resources such as food, land and ecosystems) which are crucial in addressing major global challenges. Increased global awareness of the linkage between water, energy and other nexus dimensions such as food, ecosystems and climate change has the potential to stimulate and guide international actions on integrated planning and implementation of local and international programmes to address development goals. However, planners and decision-makers in both sectors often remain ill-informed about the interdependencies between water and energy, the drivers that that influence them, the challenges, how to address them and the merits of different technical, political, management and governance options. Capacity development is required for international organizations, regional and global funding mechanisms, as well as the public and private sectors, research institutions and local stakeholders to support planning and decision making across sectors and various nexus dimensions. In this way, the nexus perspective can be consolidated in a sustainable way as local and international leaders seek integrated solutions to address major development challenges.

Cap-Net UNDP entered into a partnership with Sustainable Energy for All (SE4all - www.se4all.org) to develop a programme on water and energy. The partnership is to:
  • Jointly organise training of trainers (ToTs); on-line/face-to-face tailor-made short training on the Nexus; postgraduate training, education and research programs on the Nexus.
  • Explore innovative ways to improve nexus knowledge and strengthen capacity development, skills transfer and knowledge-sharing; ways to facilitate knowledge exchange across various nexus dimensions and provide policy guidance and technical tools and materials for integrated planning and implementation; use of ICTs for learning, competence building and mobilising local knowledge; south-south learning and knowledge cooperation
  • Stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration between the energy and water sectors and promoting knowledge exchange to help develop an integrated manage­ment framework and ensure its practical application.
  • Develop innovative technical tools and approaches and policy-oriented material and guidance to help countries develop and manage their energy and water resources in a sustainable way.
  • Develop and deliver tailored capacity building programmes for policy makers and practitioners working in the water, food, energy and environmental sectors to help them mitigate risks, confront challenges and identify opportunities in the water, energy and food nexus.
  • Connect actors working in different sectors and builds evidence-based platforms for them to exchange experiences, knowledge and perspectives on water, energy and food issues at the appropriate scale.
For more information, please contact Kees Leendertse of Cap-Net (kees.leendertse@cap-net.org) or Paul Yillia of SE4all (yillia@iiasa.ac.at).
                                          http://www.se4all.org/wp-content/themes/se4all/assets/img/se4all-logo.jpg
 
 
6) Water Integrity Map for Latin America
 
In 2013 a report was developed with the objective of presenting a "Mapping of Integrity and Accountability in Water Resources Management and Relevant Capacities in Latin America" and with the aim to strengthen integrity and transparency in the Latin American water sector by producing a regional mapping report, assembling a team of specialists, and designing a capacity development plan.
 
The report and capacity development plan was joint activity of LA-WETnet, Latin American Water Education and Training Network; the national member networks ‒ ArgCap-net (Argentina), Cap-Net Brazil, REDICA (Central America); REMERH (Mexico) ‒; and the following LA-WETnet member institutions: Universidad Externado (Colombia), Cultura Ambiental (Uruguay), Vitalis (Venezuela) and the Centro Bartolomé de Casas (Peru) and was done in collaboration and with support from Cap-Net/UNDP and the UNDP Water Governance Facility at SIWI.
 
Findings show that in many countries of the region the water sector is characterized by state interventions. Each agency has its own vision and special characteristics, which result in a lack of institutional coordination. On the other hand, there are countries that have regulated the water sector efficiently but have failed at the implementation stage. Hence, the institutional quality of water management is relatively low. To a greater or lesser extent, the countries of the region have gradually incorporated international integrity promotion instruments but, contrary to what could be expected, corruption perception levels are inversely proportional to that effort.

The full report is available in English and Spanish.


7) Announcement: Change of AWARENET Coordinator.
 
AWARENET would like to announce its new coordinator. Appointed by Ms. Roula Majdalani, Director of Sustainable Development and Productivity Division, UN-ESCWA, Dr. Ralf Klingbeil, Regional Advisor for Environment and Water, will succeed Mr. Kim Seung Un as the new AWARENET coordinator. Mr. Kim Seung Un has been reassigned to the Economic Development and Globalisation Division as of 1 January 2014 as a part of ESCWA restructuring activity and he would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your kind support. Cap-Net UNDP would like to wish Mr. Kim Seung Un best of luck in his new assignment and Cap-Net UNDP will be looking forward to work closely with Dr. Ralf Klingbeil. He can be contacted at awarenet-escwa@un.org


8) Announcement: TIGER Capacity Building Facility as a new Thematic Network of Cap-Net UNDP.

TIGER network has joined the Cap-Net family as one of the new thematic network. The TIGER initiative supports African countries to exploit satellite derived Earth Observation data to monitor and assess their water resources sustaining the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) approach. Cap-Net UNDP and TIGER aimed to develop and maintain a long-term partnership with the goal to upscale capacity development on the use of Earth Observation (EO) for water resource management in the Africa Region. 

                                 


9) Water Video of the Month
 
'Groundwater in the Political Domain' by the Water Channel