Welcome to Waterscape International Group

Sunday, 21 November 2010 09:47 administrator

Waterscape International Group is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization formed in California for research and educational purposes. We are interested in developing forward-looking strategies for understanding and managing environmental problems, in particular those relating to water resources and public health. Our group is composed of members from California, Washington DC, and Lithuania at present. We are seeking research and project partnerships in the United States, Eastern Europe, and the Newly Independent States.

We are seeking research and project partnerships in the United States, Eastern Europe, and the Newly Independent States.

Our current goals are: 1) to engage in international research and projects in these areas and 2) to provide technical expertise to governments and organizations to initiate and carry-out projects and research in these areas. Please contact us if you have any questions or are interested in developing a partnership.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 04 October 2011 17:08

USAID Responds to Complex Emergency in Libya

Tuesday, 04 October 2011 17:07 administrator

In mid-February, following civilian demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt, the people of Libya began protesting against the Muammar Gaddafi-led Government of Libya. As unrest spread throughout the country, Libyan security forces under the authority of Muammar Gaddafi responded to protesting crowds with violence that continues to escalate. In addition to death and injury, the conflict has resulted in large-scale refugee outflows; protection concerns; fear of food, fuel, and medical supply shortages; and global outcry from the international community regarding human rights violations.

On March 1, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) activated a regional humanitarian assessment team (HAT) and stood up a Washington, D.C.,-based Response Management Team to support the assessment team. On March 2, U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia Gordon Gray declared a disaster due to increasing humanitarian needs on the Tunisia–Libya border. On March 8, the HAT transitioned to a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to respond to increasing needs; the DART is deployed in three countries in the region.

USAID is funding U.N. agencies, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations to implement humanitarian activities in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia. USAID grantees are providing food, medical supplies, and non-food items. USAID has also pre-positioned additional food and medical supplies in the region to respond to emerging humanitarian needs.

For more information, click here.

Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) initiative

Monday, 31 January 2011 05:27 administrator

In 2003 the Government of Sweden convened a meeting to discuss good humanitarian donorship, during which a set of Principles-and-Good-Practice-of-Humanitarian-Donorship was agreed. The meeting was attended by representatives from 16 donor governments as well as the European Commission, the OECD, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, NGOs, and academics.

The 23 Principles and Good Practice defined by the group provide both a framework to guide official humanitarian aid and a mechanism for encouraging greater donor accountability. These were drawn up to enhance the coherence and effectiveness of donor action, as well as their accountability to beneficiaries, implementing organisations and domestic constituencies, with regard to the funding, co-ordination, follow-up and evaluation of such actions.

http://www.goodhumanitariandonorship.org/gns/home.aspx

World Bank Report: Conflict and cooperation in managing international water resources

Saturday, 05 February 2011 12:18 administrator

World Bank Report: Conflict and cooperation in managing international water resources

Water is often not confined within territorial boundaries so conflicts may arise about shared water resources. When such boundaries lie within a federal state, conflicts may be peacefully and efficiently resolved under law, and if the state fail to reach an agreement, the federal government may impose one. Similar international conflicts are more difficult to resolve because no third party has the authority to enforce an agreement among national states, let alone impose one. Such international agreements must be self-enforcing. Efficient outcomes may emerge, but are not guaranteed. International law may emphasize the doctrine of"equitable utilization"of water resources, but there is no clear definition of what this implies. In the Colorado River case, the polluter (the United States) agreed to pay for all the costs of providing the downstream neighbor (Mexico) with clean water. In the Rhine River case, the downstream country (the Netherlands) agreed to pay part - but not all - of the costs of cleanup. In Colombia River Treaty case, both parties agreed to incur construction costs on their side of the border and share evenly the gross (not the net) benefit. This division may well have yielded a smaller net benefit to the United States than unilateral development would have, but the United States ratified the treaty. Negotiated outcomes need not to maximize net benefits for all countries.

World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG)

Tuesday, 25 January 2011 05:07 administrator

The World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) is an independent unit within the World Bank; it reports directly to the Bank's Board of Executive Directors. IEG assesses what works, and what does not; how a borrower plans to run and maintain a project; and the lasting contribution of the Bank to a country's overall development. The goals of evaluation are to learn from experience, to provide an objective basis for assessing the results of the Bank's work, and to provide accountability in the achievement of its objectives. It also improves Bank work by identifying and disseminating the lessons learned from experience and by framing recommendations drawn from evaluation findings.

Visit the Site: http://www.worldbank.org/oed/index.html

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