Page 27 - CIWA-AR24

West & Central Africa

Improving Water

Resources Management

in West and Central Sahel

Context
water security program (Development,
he objective of the ongoing monitoring, and protection of
T CIWA-supported initiative, Resilience, and Valorization of Water in groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
Improving Water Resources West Africa [DREVE]). DREVE is being This collaborative effort between the
Management in West and Central prepared as a Multi-phase Programmatic Ministries in charge of Environment
Sahel, is to contribute to improved Approach that will include the Senegal and Water directly supported the
WRM through selected engagements in and Niger River basins and key Development Policy Financing
the basins and countries of the Sahel transboundary aquifers such as the program Niger First Resilient Growth
region by (i) identifying pragmatic Senegal-Mauritania Aquifer Basin (SMAB) and Capital Building.
investments and policy actions that can and the Illumeden aquifer. 12
be supported by future operations and Operationalizing Strategic FY24 progress follows:
(ii) addressing critical analytical and Storage in the Western Sahel: Groundwater Program for the
capacity gaps through “fit-for-purpose” Senegal-Mauritania Aquifer Basin:
WRM assessments and technical The team collaborated with a
assistance. All engagements under this consortium of international partners The SMAB is a large aquifer shared
activity also proactively account for to develop the Water Harvesting between The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau,
13
climate change impacts and specific Explorer, an online decision support Mauritania, and Senegal, covering an
2
challenges in FCV environments such as tool for small-scale water storage area of 330,000 km that is home to
volatility, low capacity of state planning. It has been deployed to train about 16 million people. An RWG was
institutions, protracted political crises, implementing agencies in Niger and created that comprised representatives
and the increased risks and impacts that Nigeria on its use for investment of the four countries and Organisation
women and other vulnerable groups face. identification and community pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Gambie
consultations for new investment (OMVG) and Organisation pour la mise
This program began in January projects. Based on its application to en valeur du fleuve Sénégal (OMVS). The
2020, with an initial phase until the Western and Central Sahel, CIWA-funded technical assistance
February 2023, and was extended multiple projects and teams in other supported the RWG to develop a joint
for two years, with a second phase regions have expressed interest in vision and program for long-term
of US$1.4 million until February 2025. using the tool and expanding its cooperation on the SMAB aquifer.
Based on the success of this initiative, functionality, and in FY24 it has been Technical assistance included preparing
a third phase is now proposed to adapted in dryland areas of Sudan, project proposals, which prioritized
capitalize on progress and continue to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Kenya. harmonizing and updating data
add support to a new consolidated Water analytics for platforms, building a regional
regional investment program. West Africa Water Unit: hydrogeological information system, and
developing web-based SMAB maps.
The flexibility of this support window to This effort requires cooperation
Progress address emerging needs in water between the four countries and regional
revious CIWA Annual Reports analyses and reforms has been a institutions for data exchange and
P
provide details of progress before cornerstone of its success. It has enabled capacity building. Based on the findings
FY24, including: the World Bank to respond swiftly to about the legal and institutional
challenges and opportunities in the West frameworks in each country, potential
Strengthening Water Africa region, ensuring that water-related options for an institutional arrangement
Security in the G5 Sahel: interventions are both timely and for cooperation will be supported
The report provides a basis not only for effective. In Niger, for example, the through the World Bank’s DREVE
deepening the dialogue with regional project supported a technical workshop program, which will address barriers to
counterparts, but also for that was instrumental in drafting new cooperation from limited monitoring and
conceptualizing the vision for a regional regulations aimed at the identification, water data exchange.

12 DREVE is described further in Next Steps.
13 https://sahel.acaciadata.com/
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