Global Forum
www.globaloceans.org

The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands was created at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2002, to advance the interests of oceans--incorporating 72% of the Earth; coasts--the home of 50% of the world's population; and islands--43 of the world's nations are small island developing States (SIDS), which are especially dependent on the oceans. The Global Forum brings together ocean leaders from governments, intergovernmental and international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, ocean donors, and scientific institutions, to achieve the sustainable development of oceans, coasts, and islands.

Global Environment Facility
www.gefweb.org

The Global Environment Facility (GEF), established in 1991, helps developing countries fund projects and programs that protect the global environment. GEF grants support projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

GEF is an independent financial organization that provides grants to developing countries for projects that benefit the global environment and promote sustainable livelihoods in local communities.

DHI Group
www.dhigroup.com

DHI is an independent, international consulting and research organisation. DHI objectives are to advance technological development and competence within the fields of water, environment and health.

DHI offers a wide range of consulting services and leading edge technologies, software tools, chemical / biological laboratories and physical model test facilities as well as field surveys and monitoring programmes. DHI has more than 750 employees based in 20 countries worldwide.

UN Water
www.unwater.org

In 2003, UN-Water was endorsed as the new official United Nations mechanism for follow-up of the water-related decisions reached at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Millennium Development Goals.

It will support Member States in their efforts to achieve water and sanitation goals and targets. UN Water's work encompasses all aspects of freshwater, including surface and groundwater resources and the interface between fresh and sea water.

UNEP Global Programme of Action
www.unep.gpa.org

The GPA is designed to be a source of conceptual and practical guidance to be drawn upon by national and/or regional authorities for devising and implementing sustained action to prevent, reduce, control and/or eliminate marine degradation from land-based activities.

The GPA aims at preventing the degradation of the marine environment from land-based activities by facilitating the duty of States to preserve and protect the marine environment.

UNESCO Water Portal
www.unesco.org/water

The UNESCO Water Portal’s objective is to improve access to information on freshwater on the web. The UNESCO Water Portal serves as a thematic entry point to the current UNESCO and UNESCO-led programmes on freshwater.

It also provides a platform for sharing and browsing websites of other water-related organizations, government bodies and NGOs through the water links and events databases.

World Water Council
www.worldwatercouncil.org

One of the major accomplishments of the Council is its contribution to increasing the awareness of global water issues and the political mobilization it has reached through the World Water Forum. Serving as stepping-stones towards global collaboration on water problems, the Forum is a unique platform where the water community and the policy and decision makers from all regions of the world can link together, debate and attempt to find solutions to achieve water security.

The Council's World Water Forum, organized every three years in close collaboration with the authorities of the hosting country, is the largest international event in the field of water. It primarily serves four main purposes:

• To raise the importance of water on the political agenda
• To support the deepening of discussions towards the solution of international water issues in the 21st century
• To formulate concrete proposals and bring their importance to the world's attention
• To generate political commitment

World Ocean Observatory
www.thew2o.net

A place of exchange for ocean information, education and public discourse about the future of the ocean and its implication for human survival. Incorporating The Cultural Ocean, a survey of maritime arts, cultural manifestations and research tools; The Physical Ocean, the UN Atlas of the Oceans, UNESCO Ocean Portal, NOAA, NASA, Census of Marine Life, climate, and other useful sites; The World Ocean Directory, an indexed network of more than 20,000 organizations worldwide with ocean interests; The World Ocean Forum, a digest of breaking news, monthly letter, publications, exhibits, and media; Forum Events include dynamic, media-rich sites on critical ocean topics such as Ocean Acidification and Cities and Oceans; and The World Ocean Classroom, an inventory of curricula, portraits of ocean exemplars and schools, and listings of on-line educational resources for global distribution.

Global Water Partnership www.gwpforum.org The Global Water Partnership is a working partnership among all those involved in water management: government agencies, public institutions, private companies, professional organizations, multilateral development agencies and others committed to the Dublin-Rio principles. International Water Management Institute www.iwmi.cgiar.org IWMI is one of 15 international research centers supported by the network of 60 governments, private foundations and international and regional organizations collectively known as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). It is a non-profit organization with a staff of 350 and offices in over 10 countries across Asia and Africa and Headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Global Water Research Coalition globalwaterresearchcoalition.net Twelve world leading research organisations have established an international water research alliance: the Global Water Research Coalition (GWRC). GWRC is a non-profit organisation that serves as the collaborative mechanism for water research. International Water Association www.iwahq.org IWA has its roots in two strong associations: the International Water Supply Association (IWSA) and the International Water Quality Association (IAWQ). IWSA was established in 1947 while IAWQ was originally formed as the International Association for Water Pollution Research in 1965. Circle of Blue www.circleofblue.org Circle of Blue is the international network of leading journalists, scientists and communications designers that reports and presents the information necessary to respond to the global freshwater crisis.