GEF Secretariat Alfred M. Duda introduced a series of panelists responsible for the success of transboundary water management in Uganda, Bolivia and Austria. "We must help developed countries tackle global public good issues," he told a fairly large audience watching intently as he spoke, most leaned over with their chins in their hands.

Duda went on to note that the GEF was celebrating its tenth anniversary and within those years had funded 57 projects. "So real money is being spent here," he maintained. "A billion dollars is nothing to laugh at. Real experiences are being generated by the countries."

"The water crisis is not just about access to water, it's about access to water ecosystems," he said. "And it's not just about poverty reduction and pricing. it's about land tender reforms.

On that note, Dr. F.L. Orach-Meza, the fast-talking National Executive Secretary of Uganda, began to explain his Lake Victoria Environment Management Project, presenting slides which included a few photographs and predominately text on a blue background which he read aloud. Orach-Meza referred mainly to ecological and social threats in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, particularly the lack of water quantity and an even more substantial lack of sanitized water. He also mentioned an increase in the incidence of HIV/AIDS.

Orach-Meza listed endless achievements and attempts at capacity building, sustainable use of wetlands, a concentration on biodiversity and a "shared vision between nations" concerning the problems of such underdeveloped countries and their possible solutions.

"We must set priorities in action," Duda insisted, contending that such was the reason behind the success of many of GEF's projects. "If everything is a priority, nothing gets done."