Description/achievement of initiative
Cabo Verde, Comoros, Maldives, Mauritius, São Tomé & Príncipe and Seychelles may seem like they have little in common, but as small islands, they face very similar challenges. The countries − located in the Atlantic and Indian oceans − all share problems relating to the scarcity and contamination of freshwater supplies; lack of solid waste management facilities, over-exploitation and poor management of groundwater resources; increasing pressure on agricultural production; and disappearing biodiversity. Therefore, the Global Environment Facility has funded a full-sized project to strengthen their capacity to manage their aquatic resources and ecosystems on a more sustainable basis.
Implementation methodologies
This project is a Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded full-sized project. It is implemented by two agencies, UNEP and UNDP. UNOPS (East African Hub and Water and Energy Clusters) is the executing agency for respective components and works in partnerships with the Governments of Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe and Cabo Verde. In each countries, a national focal point from the government has been designated to oversee the implementation of the project in partnership with the executing agency.
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
The component 4 of the project is dedicated to Capacity-Building and therefore a lot of activities are planned in all 6 countries and at the regional level.
Coordination mechanisms/governance structure
The project has a regional coordination unit in charge of overseeing the implementation of the project at regional level. All decisions proposed by the regional coordination unit have to be validated by a regional steering committee. This regional steering committee is composed of representatives of all UN agencies involved in the implementation/execution of the project, as well as national focal points from the governments of the beneficiary countries.In each country there is a national steering committee in charge of piloting activities at national level. Through the national focal point, the discussions of the national steering committee are also considered at the regional steering committee.
Partner(s)
UNEP; UNDP; UNOPS; GEF; Governments of Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe and Cabo Verde
Progress reports
Goal 6
6.1 - By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
6.2 - By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
6.3 - By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
6.4 - By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity
6.5 - By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
6.6 - By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
6.a - By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
6.b - Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
Goal 14
14.1 - By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
14.2 - By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
Goal 17
17.16 - Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
17.17 - Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
Data, monitoring and accountability
17.18 - By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
17.19 - By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries
June 2016
Demonstrate the added value of IWRM and WUE based approaches through the implementation of demonstration project at local level in each of the 6 participating countries.
September 2017
Developing national and regional IWRM and WUE Indicator Framework and Monitoring.
September 2017
Policy, legislative and institutional reform for IWRM and WUE.
September 2017
Capacity Building, Learning, Knowledge, exchange, & replication.
