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IW:LEARN

GRID-Arendal continues to support projects of theGlobal Environment Facility’s (GEF) International Waters portfolio through IW:LEARN (International Waters: Learning Exchange and Resource Network). The network was established to strengthen transboundary water management around the globe by collecting and sharing best practices, lessons learned and innovative solutions to common problems. It promotes learning among project managers, country officials, implementing agencies and other partners.

In addition to building and maintaining a new website for IW:LEARN, GRID-Arendal has developed a website toolkit which allows partners to easily create websites for their new projects. Work also continues on refining the IW:LEARN Spatial Lab, a unique visualisation tool to allows users to discover GEF International Waters activities around the world. As part of its support to projects, GRID produces Synthesis Reports and Experience Notes. The Synthesis Report From Source to Sea: Protecting Our Oceans through Partnerships and Investments was produced for UN Environment for release at the Sixth GEF Assembly in June 2018. The report highlights the role that the GEF International Waters focal area has had over in

assisting countries implement actions towards meeting the objectives of the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities. The Ninth International Waters Conference (IWC9), a biennial event for training and experience sharing among International Waters projects, was held in Marrakech, Morocco in November 2018. GRID-Arendal had a strong presence at the IWC9, hosting a booth to promote the services available through IW:LEARN, conducting video interviews with selected projects, running a clinic on the IW:LEARNweb and visualisation toolkits, and conducting a communications workshop to help projects promote their achievements using different media.

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