Page 8 - CIWA-AR24

Foreword

Foreword

limate change and conflict New initiatives launched The program will propose resilient
C
ontinued their unyielding advance livelihoods investments with a pro-poor,
across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) last year. To complement the World Bank’s gender, and inclusive focus aimed at
Regional Climate Resilience Program increasing equitable benefits to women
Civil war in Sudan. A coup in Niger. (RCRP) for Eastern and Southern Africa, and men while restoring and maintaining
Conflicts in the Horn of Africa, which which aims to increase resilience to the biodiversity integrity of the basin.
also faced floods after several years of water-related climate shocks, CIWA
historic droughts and locust surges, launched the Strengthening The new Strengthening Transboundary
heightening food and water insecurity. Transboundary River Basin Organizations River Basin Organizations through
There is so much water in Lake Victoria, through Program Development and Program Development and Capacity
where water levels have hit a 128-year Capacity Building in Africa and the South Building in Africa grant also includes
high, that the region is bracing for Sudan Transboundary Waters Support Lake Kariba transboundary fisheries
flooding. As many as 3 million South Program. The latter will include technical assistance. Lake Kariba, in the
Sudanese could need humanitarian large-scale analytics and advisory Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa,
assistance if governments do not support to deepen the dialogue on
cooperate to provide early warning and climate risk and water resource has suffered a dramatic decline in water
agreements about dam releases in management in refugee hosting areas levels from droughts caused by El Niño,
upstream countries. and define targeted interventions to harming people who depend on the lake
maximize climate resilience at multiple for food and livelihoods. The lake
CIWA’s work to promote transboundary scales. This engagement will map the accounts for 35 percent and 90 percent
water cooperation and management agencies engaged in water-related of fish production in Zambia and
can help minimize conflict from many initiatives, which include water resources Zimbabwe, respectively. The drop in water
sources, including tensions caused by management and water, sanitation, and levels has led habitats and breeding
too little or too much water. hygiene (WASH) activities in areas of grounds for many aquatic species to
forced displacement; help fill existing shrink, resulting in very low catches for
CIWA has achieved cooperation across gaps; and leverage synergies, ensuring fisher people. The lake also suffers from
SSA by focusing both on tangible that the water-related needs of refugees invasive species, water pollution, and
outcomes such as investments and and host communities are met competing uses. CIWA assistance will
policy reforms and the intangibles such effectively, efficiently, inclusively, and highlight and address differences in
as fostering professional relationships, equitably and in a way that considers the fisheries policy and practice between the
networks, and social capital and challenges of women and other two countries that affect the number of
developing and sharing information, vulnerable populations. fish in the lake and are a source of tension
which can be leveraged to help mitigate between the countries. It will assess the
the worst climate change effects and The South Sudan program will improve socioeconomic impacts of the declining
minimize conflict. By bringing livelihoods with a strong emphasis on fisheries stock including how women and
governments, river basin organizations the role of biodiversity and ecosystem
(RBOs), communities, and other partners services in contributing to resilience. men are impacted differently and
together, CIWA is helping turn potential This activity will create a freshwater promote participation of women and
sources of conflict into reservoirs of biodiversity baseline and evaluate other vulnerable populations in
sustainable growth and development. anthropogenic pressures on ecosystems transboundary conservation and fisheries
in the SUDD wetland. The program also management.
From Mauritania to South Africa, includes capacity-building workshops
CIWA’s work in the 2024 fiscal year (FY) and dissemination of findings to the
(from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024) South Sudan Ministry of Water Resources
reinforced our understanding that and Irrigation.
water, most of which is transboundary
in SSA, is not only a resource but also
the lifeblood of communities, CIWA’s support to the southern African
ecosystems, and economies. We countries in RCRP includes preparation
simply cannot alleviate poverty and of a new resilient livelihoods
achieve prosperity without protecting enhancement program based on CIWA’s
and restoring ecosystems and ensuring past support for the Cubango-Okavango
water and food security for everyone, River Basin (CORB). It will address
especially for the poorest and most underlying drivers of poverty, which will
vulnerable women and men. inform longer-term sustained initiatives.

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