On the occasion of the Wilson Center's 50th anniversary, its Environmental Change and Security Program and nine co-sponsoring programs convened experts on November 28 from government, the NGO sector, and academia for a comprehensive look at the first year of the U.S. Government Global Water Strategy and new research and practice on water, peace, and conflict.
The Planning for Resilience in East Africa through Policy, Adaptation, Research, and Economic Development (PREPARED) Project was a five-year initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of East Africa economies, transboundary and freshwater ecosystems and communities targeting three key development challenges of East Africa: : climate change adaptation, biodiversi
Clean water and safe sanitation are key stepping stones on the journey to self-reliance. Throughout the year and around the globe, USAID partners with households, civic leaders, businesses, and governments to improve water and sanitation access for entire communities — laying the foundation for a healthier and more water-secure future. On March 22, travel around the world in celebration of World Water Day in this photo essay and see how USAID harnesses the transformative power of clean water to change lives, revitalize neighborhoods, and make sure no one is left behind.
SERVIR, a joint NASA and USAID initiative, is building the capacity of water resources departments in national governments in South Asia to use satellite data and hydrologic model products to improve water resource assessments. In Afghanistan and other countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya, SERVIR is helping government departments manage their water resources during the critical low-flow period, as well as during roaring floods.
Through a cooperative program with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), the U.S. Water Partnership (USWP) has deployed U.S. hydrologists and water experts abroad for short-term consultancies, training programs, and public diplomacy missions. The program, termed by one expert participant as “Hydrologists without Borders,” helps U.S. embassies build cooperation and support for critical water issues in key countries, and has served as a new avenue for U.S. embassies to market U.S.
The livelihoods of East Africans largely depend on access to and protection of their natural resources, including wildlife. When those resources are threatened, poverty grows. Rising temperatures, fluctuating rainy seasons and extreme weather events affect many in the region, especially those engaged in agriculture, fishing and pastoralism. These factors diminish incomes and impair access to food, health care, electricity, safe drinking water and sanitation services – undermining and potentially reversing development progress.
This new Priority Rated Optimization Model (PROM) for multisector water resources managment is designed for multi-sector water resource assessment, allocation, and management. PROM utilizes flow duration curves (FDC), demand-to-supply ratio (DSR) and utility indices (UI) to evaluate and optimize priority based multi-sector water allocation.
The USAID ATLAS project is conducting a rigorous basin-wide climate vulnerability assessment of the Mara River.
Sustainable Water Partnership Team Leader Gordon Mumbo brings a lifetime of experience to the Mara River Basin.
New Beginnings in Transboundary Water Cooperation
Winding for nearly 14,000 kilometers, the Mara River is a vital source of life in Kenya and Tanzania. The river traverses the towering Mau Forest, wanders through tea plantations and growing settlements in the upper Basin, and waters the rangelands of Maasai pastoral communities. The river also sustains the region’s stunning biodiversity, from forest ecosystems to the wildebeests migrating between Serengeti National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve.
