Former Ghana President John Agyekum Kufuor to chair the Sanitation and Water for All partnership

His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of Ghana (2001-2009) and former Chairperson of the African Union (2007–2008), will be the first high-level Chair of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership. Kufuor is a passionate global advocate for leadership, governance and development. He is widely regarded for his African and international statesmanship, and his contributions have been recognized through awards such as the 2011 World Food Prize.

Additional information on Sanitation and Water for All, including partners, activities and governance can be found at: www.sanitationandwaterforall.org

Read the full press release [Sanitation and Water for All, 15 Nov 2011]

Groundwater Centre moves to UNESCO-IHE

The International Groundwater Resource Assessment Centre (IGRAC) has recently relocated to the UNESCO-IHE offices in Delft. They were previously hosted at the Deltares offices in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The Centre will operate under the auspices of UNESCO and will have a partnership structure, which includes international bodies such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Established in 1999 at the 5th International Conference on Hydrology, IGRAC aims to facilitate and promote worldwide exchange of groundwater knowledge to improve assessment, development and management of groundwater resources.

Past projects of IGRAC include a global reviews of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater, and the impact of the 2004 Asian tsunami on groundwater  resources.

Related web sites:

• International Groundwater Resource Assessment Centre (IGRAC)
• UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education

Source: UNESCO Water e-Newsletter, no. 258, 07 Nov 2011