Fourth Biennial International Waters Conference in Cape Town
25 July 2007
South Africa will be hosting the GEF's Fourth Biennial International Waters
Conference from 31 July to 3 August 2007 at the Cape Town International
Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.
The primary objective of the conference is to foster knowledge sharing and
collaboration between participating governments, GEF funded projects and
agencies and private and non-profit sectors. The conference further seeks to
highlight crucial international waters challenges, celebrating achievements,
highlighting successful scientific and technical tools and financing
international waters partnerships.
International waters is one of the GEF focal areas and targets marine
ecosystems bounded by more than one nation, trans-boundary water systems such
as river basins with water flowing from one country to another and groundwater
resources shared by several countries. Through its international waters
projects it provides support to countries to strengthen trans-boundary
collaboration in addressing key trans-boundary concerns such as water
pollution, protection of fisheries habitats and unsustainable exploitation of
fisheries.
One of the successful trans-boundary marine programmes in the Southern
Africa's Development Community (SADC) region is the Benguela Current Large
Marine Ecosystems (BCLME) programme which is aimed at facilitating
trans-boundary co-operation in the management of shared fish stocks, marine
pollution and co-ordination of regional efforts to mitigate impacts of marine
mining and oils and gas production on the environment.
The conference is further expected to set a platform to share and highlight
the role of marine and coastal resources in contributing towards tackling
socio- economic challenges in developing countries.
Other key GEF funded waters projects in the region are:
* Toward an Ecosystem Approach to the Sustainable Use of the Resources of
the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystem (A&S LME
Program)
* Western Indian Ocean Marine Highway Development and Coastal and Marine
Contamination Prevention Project
* Development and Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment in
Sub-Saharan Africa
* Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Project (SWIOFP).
The conference will officially be opened on Tuesday, 31 July 2007, by the
South African Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Marthinus van
Schalkwyk and be closed by South Africa's Deputy Minister of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi.
This is the second GEF international gathering hosted by South Africa. The
first was the GEF Third Assembly held in August 2006.
Participation in the conference is by invitation only. Members of the media
are requested to register through the Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism.
For further information please contact:
Mava Scott
Cell: 082 411 9821
E-mail: mscott@deat.gov.za
Carol Moses
Cell: 082 829 3917
E-mail: cmoses@deat.gov.za
Roopa Singh
Cell: 082 225 3076
E-mail: rsingh@deat.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
25 July 2007
