International Waters learning Exchange & Resource Network

Portfolio Bulletin Issue 2020.03

GEF IW Portfolio News

[GEF-UNDP/UNOPS CLME+] The Steering Committee of the UNDP/GEF CLME+ Project, chaired by the Government of Panama, convened virtually from 16-18 June 2020. 105 delegates representing 22 countries and 14 international organisations participated in this meeting, which led to this important milestone decision which lays the foundations for a region-wide “ocean governance” Coordination Mechanism. 


[GEF-UNDP/UNEP IW:LEARN] Human water use in river basins has surpassed sustainable limits. A new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on freshwater security aims to deliver skills and knowledge for cooperation on water, which is vital to most international basins and the countries that depend on them. 


[GEF-UNEP/Nairobi Convention WIO-SAP] For many coastal communities in the Western Indian Ocean, mangroves – trees that thrive in saltwater – are essential to everyday life, providing food, economic, and even physical security. The fish and invertebrates, who use mangroves as fishing grounds, form a large part of their everyday diets. Selling these fish also provides these residents with a steady source of income. These same communities further benefit from the protection from coastal erosion provided by mangroves, which help blunt impacts from hurricanes, floods, and other storms.


[GEF-UNDP/SPC Pacific Ridge to Reef] Strong, determined and humble are three words that come to mind when you meet Mesake Dralolo. A casualty of the lay-offs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mesake did what most Fijians are doing, and that is to go back to his roots.


[GEF-UNEP/UNDP IWEco] When you are a small island nation, every inch of space counts. But from rising sea levels to natural disasters and coastal erosion, in the age of climate change many islands are shrinking before their citizens’ very eyes. Amongst those most at risk is the twin-island federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Set in the Lesser Antilles, St Kitts and Nevis is threatened by both by sea level rise and the region’s increasingly frequent and severe hurricanes.


[GEF-UNEP/CEH INMS] On 8-9 June 2020, the UNEP-CEH/GEF ‘Towards INMS’ Project (INMS) hosted the ‘First e-briefing for the Nitrogen Working Group of the United Nations Environment Programme’. The e-briefing was the first of its kind, building on the progress made during the historic signing of the Colombo Declaration in October 2019 as part of the Launch of the Global Campaign on Sustainable Nitrogen Management in Colombo, Sri Lanka.


[GEF-UNDP/UNOPS Yellow Sea LME Phase II and PEMSEA] The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that aims to facilitate cooperation and strengthen collaboration between the two parties via the free access and use of mutually agreed knowledge products, experience and good practices in relation to their respective regional ocean governance programs.

GEF IW:LEARN Partner Updates

[GEF] On 1 September 2020, Costa Rican conservationist Carlos Manuel Rodriguez took up his new role as CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, aiming to scale up action on forestry, food and land use, and biodiversity loss, and to support ambitious results from upcoming international climate and nature negotiations. Rodriguez, an environmental lawyer and internationally recognized expert on financing for nature conservation, was selected for the post in June by the GEF Council, the multilateral trust fund’s governing body representing 184 countries.


[SIWI] World Water Week At Home turned out to be a surprisingly optimistic event. In session after session, participants showed their willingness and commitment to finding water-related solutions to make the world safer and sounder after Covid-19. Here are seven of the top trends.


[IOC-UNESCO] Coverage of the seabed has risen from 15 per cent to 19 per cent in the last year. When Seabed 2030 was launched in 2017, only six per cent of the oceans had been mapped to modern standards.
 


[International Rivers Foundation] In July 2020, the International River Foundation (IRF) launched a preview of a number of key components of the Resilient Rivers Blueprint in the Resilient Rivers Hub. It is a platform which aims to provide river managers across the globe with a resource and a venue to share knowledge and experiences to assist them in their quest to establish resilient river systems.


 

WEBINARS, CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

From the GEF IW Portfolio

From GEF IW:LEARN Partners

  • [Convention on Biological Diversity] Special Virtual Sessions, in preparation for the 24th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) and the 3rd meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI), 15-18 September 2020, 0400 UTC / 0600 CEST, Online
  • [ICPDR] Watch the BBC Documentary on the Black Sea and read the latest issue of the Danube Watch featuring, to mention a few, embracing the digital workspace in times of a pandemic, the Danube GIS, a peek into the making of the BBC docu, plus updates from the Commission and its activities. 
  • [FAO] How does an organization shift from traditional corporate communication into driving a successful digital campaign and reaching almost 2 million 'likes'? Learn and get inspirations from Communication at FAO.

From other water-related organizations

We are open for submissions! Please visit https://iwlearn.net/news/newsletter/guide-storysubmission for guidance on how to prepare and send an IW:LEARN News story.