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GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP/WORLD WATER COUNCIL SPECIAL WORKSHOP

The Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the World Water Council (WWC) held a workshop, chaired by Ismael Serageldin (World Bank), to exchange experiences in water management and development networks. An overview was provided of the World Water Council, a new membership organization set up as an advocacy water policy think-tank comprised of public, private, intergovernmental, international and non-governmental organizations. The GWP was described as a comprehensive global framework that builds on past lessons and fosters global cooperation. Members of regional partnerships under the GWP made statements about ongoing capacity building, awareness raising and information exchange activities in their regions. Discussions highlighted the complexity of water problems and the limitations of existing measures and underscored the importance of policy frameworks to support technological solutions. It was noted that incorporation of research in similar water partnerships and programmes is essential and the use of future scenarios to guide present actions should be considered. Concerns were raised about tendencies to focus on scarcity as the main water crisis while neglecting problems of poor water management and about the proliferation of regional coordination activities.

Participants reiterated that the water problem could only be managed once societies learn to live with existing resources and plan better for the future. WWC and GWP were called upon to give attention to aspects of efficient use of existing resources and linkages between water and energy as well as other sectors. The Chair closed the workshop with a call for a shift of paradigms governing short- and long-term practices.

Photos from the International Conference on Water and Sustainable Development

	Ismael Serageldin, Vice President of the World Bank and Chairman of the GWP opens the Global WaterPartnership/World Water Council seminar
Participants at the Global WaterPartnership/World Water Council seminar
	Participants at Global Water Partnership/World Water Council seminar
GWP and World Water Council seminar panel
	Guyle Moigne, Executive Director, World Water Council and participant (to be named later)
Mr Ismael Serageldin, Vice President of the World Bank and Chairman of the GWP
	Participants at Global Water Partnership/World Water Council seminar
Abu Zeid, President, World Water Council
	Abu Zeid and Ismael Serageldin
Laura Edwards, Global Water Partnership Secretariat
	Johan Holmberg, Executive Secretary, Global Water Partnership
Anil Argawal, Director, Centre for Science and Environment, India

This page was last edited on 01/18/02