GEF IW:LEARN e-bulletin #3, January 2008

Inception of the Agulhas Somali Currents Large Marine Ecosystem project

It is estimated that approximately four million tonnes of fish are harvested off the east coast of Africa every year and that fisheries exports alone contribute US$943 million to the economies of the region. Yet, while scientists believe that less than 50% of marine species off the east coast of Africa have been described, human activities - such as pollution, over-fishing and environmental degradation – seriously threaten the region’s coastal and marine resources. 

This is the reality facing the representatives of nine countries who met in Durban, South Africa, last week to begin the process of intensively studying and, in time, collectively managing the marine resources of East Africa and its small island states.

Enrol for Online Courses from the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education

UNESCO-IHE offers high-quality online courses in an increasing number of topics of interest in the water sector. The innovative delivery format makes learning exciting, flexible, interactive and effective. It allows participants anywhere in the world to learn at their own convenience, and immediately apply their newly acquired knowledge in their working environment.

Training in Wastewater Management

Wastewater management in the coastal cities has been identified as a priority for the UNEP/GPA (United Nations Environment Programme’s -Global Programme of Action). The issue of the uncontrolled discharge of wastewater into the freshwater and coastal environment has also been identified as a priority by UNEP and reconfirmed at the 2002 Millennium Summit and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The UNEP/GPA is the only UN programme addressing the interface between the freshwater and coastal environment.

New publications from the UNESCO-IHP Urban Water Series

1. Data Requirements for Integrated Urban Water Management 
(Edited by Tim D. Fletcher and Ana Deletić)

2. Aquatic Habitats in Sustainable Urban Water Management (Science, Policy and Practice) (Edited by Iwona Wagner, Jiri Marsalek and Pascal Breil)