Elected GWP South Asia Regional Office Chairman
The office of the Global Water Partnership, South Asia
Region (GWP South Asia) has moved to Sri Lanka for a period of two years
commencing in 2005. This is in accordance with the agreements reached to
rotate the Regional Office and the Chairmanship among the Partner
Countries of the GWP in South Asia, viz, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India,
Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives, in that order.
The Regional Office will be the nerve center for
programs in South Asia for promoting Integrated Water Resources
Management (IWRM) and will operate through Country Water Partnerships
and Regional Networks.
GWP South Asia is conscious of the fact that there are
many challenges ahead, given the prevailing and emerging water-stress
situations in the region. Population growth, poorly planned
urbanization, high illiteracy and widespread poverty are major negative
factors impacting on water resources in the region. Forging partnerships
for action and strategic alliances for policy and institutional reforms
are expected to be the major thrusts of the regional program.
Country Water Partnerships (CWP) currently function in
all the seven countries of the South Asian region and are actively
collaborating with a wide range of partners in promoting IWRM, based on
the Regional Water Vision 2025 developed in the year 2000.
The GWP family is represented in Sri Lanka by Lanka
Jalani (Sri Lanka Water Partnership), which, since 1999, has promoted
IWRM by developing the Sri Lanka Water Vision 2025 and establishing
several Area Water Partnerships at river-basin level.
GWP South Asia is governed by a Regional Council
representing each of the countries of South Asia.
Nanda Abeywickrama, former Secretary, Ministry of Lands
and Mahaweli Development Government of Sri Lanka and Director,
International Co-operating, IIMI has been elected Chairman of the
Regional Partnership and the Regional Council.
Abeywickrama, until recently Chairman of Lanka Jalani
and Senior Advisor at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI),
has taken over his new responsibilities beginning early 2005.
The Regional Office is located at the International
Water Management Institute (IWMI) Headquarters at 127, Sunil Mawatha,
Pelawatte, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka, which functions as the Host
Institution for GWP South Asia. |
