IW:LEARN

Integrated Water Resources Management in Pacific Island Countries: A Synopsis

2008-08-19T12:36:58Z

In order to demonstrate the credibility of IWRM to the global audience it is important to have examples of IWRM success as soon as possible. Achieving IWRM success quickly is most likely to be accomplished where the hydrological systems (catchments and aquifers) are small and as a result limited water and land management changes can have a catchment wide impact, and the catchments will respond to these changes rapidly. Small Island Developing States provide the ideal hydrological environment for demonstrating IWRM approaches and achieving tangible and quantifiable benefits. SIDS IWRM success can be a powerful catalyst to IWRM implementation worldwide.

Above material sourced from 'Integrated Water Resources Management in Pacific Island Countries: A Synopsis'

Some background information:

About SOPAC

About the Sustainable Integrated Water Resources Management Project for Pacific Island Countries

ReefBase Pacific project working with SPREP

2008-08-19T12:01:21Z

Pip Cohen, Coordinator of the Reefbase Pacific project based in Fiji, spent a week with SPREP in June to formally begin the collaboration, part of which involved working with the newly recruited Reefbase Pacific assistant, Ewan Cameron.

“SPREP have committed to work with the Cook Islands to assist in the management of information relating to their coral reefs and ReefBase Pacific could help by playing a role there. Through this collaboration with SPREP we also hope to assist in reef associated information management in Samoa,” said Cohen.

Since the regional project started, ReefBase Pacific has focused their efforts on work with partners in Tonga, French Polynesia, Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. They hope to provide their valuable information resources to more countries and territories in the Pacific region.

“The Reefbase Project activities continue and we hope to strengthen our role in meeting some of the information needs that reef resource researchers and managers have expressed. We can now better coordinate with SPREP programmes, such as Pacific Environment Information Network, and SPREP members, to determine together where the information gaps and information management needs are and address these needs.”

For more on the project or to search the information collection visit pacific.reefbase.org. The SPREP website is www.sprep.org.

Above material is sourced from the SPREP website

Nile-COM Endorses Initiative to Address Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in the Nile basin

2008-08-19T07:15:58Z

This is contained in the signed minutes of the 16th Nile-COM meeting that took place from 21/7/08 – 22/7/08 at Grand Hotel, in Kinshasa, D.R Congo, attended by the Ministers of water of the Nile Basin Countries, members of the Technical Advisory Committee, development partners, observers, the Executive Director and NBI staff.

The objective of the initiative is to jointly assess vulnerability and address climate change related impacts and risks through appropriate alternatives and adaptation actions. Expected outcomes of the initiative are to include
understanding of climate change impacts on the Nile’s bio-physical system using best available tools and models, identification and mitigation of climate change risks within investment and development projects, enhancement of the scientific and adaptive capacity at the level of the basin and individual riparians, and integration of long term aspects of climate change on decision making on the Nile.

A presentation of the concept note by the Executive Director, Mr. Audace Ndayizeye, pointed out that climate change will aggravate the water stress currently faced by some countries in the basin, while some countries that currently do not experience water stress will become at a risk of water stress. According to the Executive Director, Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change and climate variability, a situation aggravated by the interaction of ‘multiple stresses’, occurring at various levels, and low adaptive capacity.

The nod by Nile-COM paves the way for NBI to address of climate change related issues in the basin. The Nile-COM is the highest decision making organ of the Nile Basin Initiative and it meets annually to deliberate on policy related issues of the NBI.

Above material is sourced from Nile Basin Initiative website.

New Publication from UNEP/GEF YSLME Project - 'Guideline for Economic Analyses of Environmental Management Actions for the Yellow Sea.'

2008-08-19T06:36:13Z

Abstract from publication:

This guideline describes how to assess the economy of management actions to conserve marine and coastal resources. The guideline discusses the basics of environmental valuation, explaining economic value, negative externalities, and valuation techniques. The methodology of cost-benefit analyses is then discussed with the actions’ benefits and costs defined and with the multiple-step analytical procedure explained. The guideline focuses on the Yellow Sea ecosystem, although most concepts and techniques that are discussed here may be applicable to other marine and coastal ecosystems in various regions. The relevant information for this guideline came from books, articles in periodicals, government documents, and publications by international organisations.

Africa: Atlas of our Changing Environment

2008-08-18T12:54:34Z

The observations and measurements of environmental change illustrated in this Atlas help gauge the extent of progress made by African countries towards reaching the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals. More importantly, this book contributes to the knowledge and understanding that are essential for adaptation and remediation. This UNEP publication should be of immense value to all those who want to know more about Africa and who care about the future of this continent.

FREE PDF copies in English and French are available

Above material is sourced from UNEP website

UNESCO Bangkok releases new publication on ICT literacy in the Asia-Pacific

2008-08-18T12:09:34Z

There is almost universal acceptance that information and communication technologies (ICT) are good for development. These technologies, most particularly those that are Internet-connected, increase access through distance learning, enable a knowledge network for students, train teachers, broaden the availability of quality education materials and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration policy.

Educational systems, both formal and non-formal, are powerful social institutions infused with the mission of developing desirable values among the public – and especially among the youth. Thus, they must be most sensitised to ICT potential dangers and be proactive in addressing them. ICT literacy education provides an appropriate venue for this.

Moreover, given that there is continuous development of ICT and the people who use them, so should there also be continual assessment of ICT education and curricula by the educational systems/institutions that offer them. In a world where information and knowledge are currency, governments aspire to develop their countries as optimised knowledge societies.

In order to address these issues UNESCO’s Office in Bangkok commissioned this paper, which is now published in electronic format. It provides, in its first section, a situational analysis of ICT usage in the Asia-Pacific region, both to examine current dominant thrusts in ICT literacy education and to serve as background for the strategy framework. The second section details this framework. It defines goals, objectives, and approaches, as well as discusses conceptual and operational measures for promoting ICT literacy development throughout the Asia-Pacific region. By so doing, this paper helps contribute to Asia Pacific Information Network (APIN) ICT literacy programming efforts.

Above material sourced from UNESCO website

Inauguration of the Physical Oceanography Project for West Africa (PROPAO)

2008-07-28T12:05:05Z

The PROPAO mainly addresses the following:
- Analysis and monitoring of the oceanic conditions in the Gulf of Guinea, and principally along its northern coasts (from Nigeria to Côte d’Ivoire);
- Influence of the surface oceanic conditions on the variability of the monsoon flux;
- Impact of the oceanic and climatic conditions on resources and coastal erosion;
- Establish a regional data bank of coastal oceanographic measurements;
- Reinforce local capacities (link with universities).

The programme as well, has links with other regional and international programs like: PIRATA, AMMA, CLIV ARITACE, GOOSAFRICA, OOINAFRICA and GCLME.

Above is excerpt from original material at http://igcc.gclme.org/documents/newsletters/IgccNewsletter-May%202008.pdf