Page 28 - CIWA-AR24

West & Central Africa

Preparatory work on the three other driver of prosperity, peace, and climate activities on groundwater management,
Sahelian transboundary aquifers resilience in the sub-region. It proposes a CSOs, water harvesting mapping, and ad
(Taoudeni Basin, Iullemeden Aquifer, new approach to development by hoc requests aligned with the objectives of
and Lake Chad Aquifer Basin) was leveraging regional and national the program, such as conducting rapid
undertaken. An assessment is being stakeholder cooperation for conjunctive water security diagnostics.
conducted to characterize existing water use (both groundwater and surface
infrastructure (boreholes and wells) and water versus the usual river basin DREVE is a large, multiphase programmatic
to develop population and climate approach) and boosting the valorization of approach program (US$>1 billion) to be
change projections through 2040. This water for socioeconomic development launched in 2025. This technical assistance
assessment will support dialogue to through transboundary cooperation. will: (i) review OMVS studies for developing
prepare future investments and navigation on the Senegal River between
international collaboration on these CIWA supported key regional Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal; (ii) provide
aquifers. organizations in West Africa in the technical assistance to the West African
preparation of DREVE: Economic and Monetary Union and
The creation of a CSO water platform Technical assistance was provided to Economic Commission of West African
will require a better understanding of the Water Resources Management States Water Resources Management
the needs of community-based Center of the Economic Commission of Center for preparing DREVE’s regional
associations and stronger collaboration West African States, the Permanent integration pillar; (iii) hold a DREVE regional
with NGOs and CSOs to facilitate Interstate Committee for Drought forum; and (iv) advance dialogue with the
communication with governments and Control in the Sahel, and the West regional organizations for the Niger and
among themselves. The team proposed African Economic and Monetary Union. Volta River basins to prepare DREVE
operationalizing the model by: activities in investment identification.
A working group was formed
(a) Organizing a series of consultations comprising the three organizations and This operation will continue to support
with regional stakeholders in six the World Bank to discuss how water the RWG on the SMAB transboundary
priority countries that will be resources cooperation could be aquifer. DREVE will support the
involved in the DREVE regional strengthened through DREVE and CIWA implementation of activities identified by
program under preparation: Burkina support. CIWA supported a the SMAB RWG, ensuring continuity and
Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, presentation about DREVE in June 2024 progress on these important issues. As
and Senegal. Following presentation at the 11th session of the technical this SMAB support ends, the operation
of the country diagnostics and expert committee of the Permanent will pivot to the Iullemeden Aquifer
receiving stakeholder feedback at the Framework for Coordination and System, which spans Algeria, Benin, Mali,
regional workshop, the team will build Monitoring of Integrated Water
on these diagnostics to draw a Resources Management in West Africa Niger, and Nigeria. New CIWA support to
roadmap for the creation of a CSO and the 5th Ministerial Monitoring DREVE is expected to be prepared during
water platform. this period.
Committee for WRM in West Africa.
(b) In parallel, initiating dialogue with
basin-level counterparts (e.g., OMVS, CIWA also supported the dialogue
Niger Basin Authority) for integrating with OMVS for preparation of a
such broad-based civil society follow-up project to the Senegal River
engagement in their core agendas. Basin Climate Change Resilience
Development Project that will be
Key results of this activity were presented integrated into pillar 1 of DREVE.
at the Stockholm International Water
Initiative World Water Forum in 2024, with Next Steps
CIWA supporting the participation of the he next phase of this operation
T
Youth Transboundary Water Parliament will consist of four elements:
from Burkina Faso.
i) key support to design and prepare the
Preparation of DREVE:
DREVE program; ii) support to advance the
During FY24, this CIWA initiative has SMAB institutional arrangements;
actively supported the preparation of iii) enhancing transboundary water
DREVE, a regional Multiphase resources through NBS using the water
Programmatic Approach that will harvesting explorer tool; and iv) ongoing
promote WRM and development as a key technical assistance building on the

23 (Jean Damase ROAMBA, the youth delegate from Burkina Faso,
10th World Water Forum, Bali, Indonesia. ©PNJBE