CIWA Program: Going Beyond Water

Since its inception in 2011, the CIWA Program, managed by the World Bank, has been tackling cross-border challenges and fostering collaboration among national and regional institutions for the greater good. CIWA invests in the development of water infrastructure while providing technical support and analyses to enhance understanding of transboundary water issues. This enables governments, river basin organizations, and other stakeholders to make informed, evidence-based decisions.

The projects, analyses, and knowledge generated by CIWA align seamlessly with the World Bank’s mission to promote sustainable, resilient, and inclusive development aimed at eradicating extreme poverty and enhancing shared prosperity. The program’s primary objective is to strengthen the cooperative management and development of international waters in Sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to sustainable, climate-resilient growth. To achieve this, CIWA supports basin management institutions, catalyzes transformative water-related investments, and facilitates the collection and sharing of information regarding the benefits of cooperation.

As with all investment preparation initiatives, the effects of support provided may take years to fully materialize. CIWA often engages upstream of investment implementation and commits long-term to strengthening capacities in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, which is crucial for progress.

CIWA’s unique transboundary and multi-basin approach distinguishes it within the development sector. It collaborates with regional river basin organizations, national governments, civil society groups, and various stakeholders to enhance information sharing and institutional capacity while preparing investments.

Structured to be responsive and adaptable, CIWA empowers African countries to pursue sustainable, climate-resilient growth that effectively reduces extreme poverty and fosters shared prosperity in an equitable and inclusive manner. The program strikes a balance between supporting institutional development and information systems while assisting riparian governments in enhancing the quality of their investments.

Initiatives and Programs: A Regional Approach

West and Central Africa 

West and Central Africa faces increasing climate change impacts, including prolonged drought and unpredictable rainy seasons. The Sahel also suffers from fragility, violence, weak institutions, and political instability. In a region with widespread gender inequality, CIWA is working to ensure the equitable participation of women in decision making about water resources. It also is improving water security by addressing knowledge and capacity gaps, identifying investments and policy actions, and emphasizing the sustainable management and development of groundwater. 

Lake Chad Water Security – this initiative assesses the current state of water security and transboundary cooperation in the Lake Chad Basin at the political (vision), institutional (roles), and technical (investments) levels. It is divided into two pillars: Pillar A focuses on building the analytical and institutional foundation for water security and informs the identification and design of activities under Pillar B to catalyze future investments. Know more.

Improving Water Resources Management in West and Central Sahel: the initiative aims to improve water resources management by identifying pragmatic investments and policy actions, as well as addressing critical knowledge and capacity gaps. Know more.

East Africa 

East Africa faces numerous challenges, including food and water insecurity, growing violence and conflict, and climate change impacts. CIWA, which grew out of the progress made by the Nile Basin Trust Fund in water resources management and development in that basin, continues to enhance the region’s resilience to climate change and water insecurity through advancing water disaster mitigation and early warning systems.

The Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience (NCCR) supports regional coordination on dam safety policies and flood early-warning systems in the Nile Basin. Know more.

Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Climate Resilience Program: NCCR also leveraged additional IDA funding for ENTRO and NELSAP-CU via this new Program so they can work closely with South Sudan in addressing the transboundary dimension of the floods. Know more.

Horn of Africa 

The Horn of Africa is facing cascading impacts from the worst drought in four decades, which CIWA is working to ameliorate. CIWA also is improving access to groundwater through nature-based infrastructure as the region’s cornerstone of water security. It is expanding the knowledge base on groundwater, strengthening the capacity of partners to manage and develop this valuable resource, working to understand the influences of water insecurity on FCV situations, and improving regional initiatives to build resilience.  

Untapping Resilience in the Horn of Africa (HoA) strengthens regional cooperation and capacities in groundwater development and management and expanding the knowledge base on groundwater resources. Know more.

South Sudan Transboundary Waters Support Program – To complement the World Bank’s Regional Climate Resilience Program (RCRP) for Eastern and Southern Africa, which aims to increase resilience to water-related climate shocks, CIWA launched the Strengthening Transboundary River Basin Organizations through Program Development and Capacity Building in Africa and the South Sudan Transboundary Waters Support Program. The latter will include large-scale analytics and advisory support to deepen the dialogue on climate risk and water resource management in refugee hosting areas and define targeted interventions to maximize climate resilience at multiple scales. Know more.

Southern Africa 

Prolonged drought conditions in Southern Africa are fueling food and water insecurity, poverty, and economic fragility. CIWA is addressing the region’s significant challenges managing its increasingly important groundwater resources. It is building resilience to drought by addressing cross-border drought risks, improving management of shared waters, and facilitating cooperation around sustainable management of transboundary aquifers and river basins. 

The Southern African Development Community Groundwater Institute’s (SADC-GMI’s) Phase Two project: building on the dynamic Phase One project, this project provides the SADC-GMI strategic guidance on how to manage water and food security impacts, boost livelihoods, and adapt to climate change. Know more.

Support to Regional Climate Resilience in Eastern and Southern Africa: strengthening Transboundary Basin Organizations through Program Development and Capacity Building in Africa, is supporting the World Bank’s implementation of the Regional Climate Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa. RCRP is a regional IDA-funded multiphase programmatic approach that promotes a bottom-up and demand-driven strategy for regional cooperation and aims to increase resilience to regional water-related climate shocks. Phase 1 includes Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Sudan, the NBI, and SADC;36 Phase 2 includes Malawi and the African Union. Know more.

Cross-cutting engagements and Pillars of the program

The escalating pressure on transboundary waters across the African continent is driven by factors such as climate change, population growth, conflicts, client demands, strategic priorities, and improved methodologies addressing cross-cutting themes. These themes include biodiversity, climate resilience, gender and social inclusion (GESI), and fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV). These elements serve as crucial pathways for achieving results in the areas of investments, information, and institutions, collectively referred to as the CIWA’s three Is. In response to these challenges, CIWA has developed an updated 2.0 Theory of Change and Results Framework that focuses on these essential cross-cutting themes.