Welcome to CIWA’s latest bulletin, celebrating a vibrant conclusion to 2024 and an exhilarating beginning to 2025!
In this edition, we are thrilled to share our newly released 2024 Annual Report, highlighting CIWA’s unwavering commitment to fostering transboundary water cooperation across Africa. The report features our expanding portfolio, innovative approaches, and the significant accomplishments achieved through our partnerships.
A notable highlight was the impactful participation of our Male Champions for Women’s Empowerment Initiative at October’s WaterNet symposium in Lesotho, where participants shared compelling strategies for advancing gender equality in transboundary water management.
This engagement was followed by a highly productive Advisory Committee meeting in Senegal in November, which included an insightful technical visit to the Diama Dam—crucial infrastructure exemplifying the strength of regional collaboration in water resources management.
These milestones reflect CIWA’s commitment to promoting inclusive, sustainable water governance across the continent.
As we step into 2025, we extend our warmest wishes for a prosperous and water-secure new year to all our partners and stakeholders. We invite you to read more about CIWA’s activities and achievements in the stories that follow. Happy reading!
Anders Jägerskog and Ai-Ju Huang, CIWA Program Managers
CIWA Program Advisory Committee Meeting Took Place In Senegal
Last November, the CIWA Program’s annual Advisory Committee meeting was held in Saly, Senegal, featuring productive discussions about enhancing cooperative transboundary water management in Africa and how CIWA can evolve to better improve water security and enable sustainable economic growth while contributing to biodiversity preservation, climate resilience, and conflict prevention. The meeting included a visit to the Diama Dam on the Senegal River, with our partner in the region, Organisation pour la mise en valeur du fleuve Senegal (OMVS), highlighting the importance of joint management of transboundary waters for development, flood protection, and biodiversity conservation.
What’s making a splash
Empowering Women: CIWA Male Champions Unite in Lesotho
Male Champions for Women's Empowerment Initiative (MCWE) hosted an important side event during the 25th WaterNet Symposium in Maseru, Lesotho, bringing Male Champions together in person for the first time. Over 40 participants explored barriers to women's leadership and identified concrete actions to promote gender inclusion in the water sector.
Gender Gap & Groundwater Resources Management
The Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) is supported by various partners including the Cooperation for International Waters in Africa. OKACOM is taking concrete action to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and other vulnerable groups. Read insights from Alina Kadhila, a hydrogeologist from Namibia.
How can men intentionally stand up for women?
This blog gives highlights from the online seminar co-hosted by Women in Water Diplomacy Network (WWDN) and the CIWA Program’s Male Champions for Women’s Empowerment (MCWE) initiative. In case you missed this first-of-its-kind and insightful online event, the full recording of the event is now available. Link in the blog.
Kazungula Community Members Hail the Upcoming Water Supply Project
The blog highlights the upcoming water supply project in Kazungula, Zambia, developed by SADC-GMI in collaboration with GEF and CIWA. Community members are expressing optimism about the project, which aims to significantly improve access to clean water and promoting education and sustainable activities.
Water Data Revolution : Closing the Data Gap for Transboundary Water in Africa - Overview Report
The Water Data Revolution initiative aims to bridge the gap between technological advancements and practical user needs. This initiative, supported by the CIWA program, connects users to data through a multifaceted approach, ensuring both utility and transparency. Read the new overview report.
Calming conflict through groundwater resilience
Igbal Salah, a hydrologist at IGAD, is doing her part to minimize conflict in the borderlands of the HoA by working with CIWA on its Untapping Resilience: Groundwater Management and Learning in the Horn of Africa’s Borderlands initiative and the related World Bank's Groundwater for Resilience Program Program.
What's new in transboundary waters and beyond
Toward the establishment of an operational Early Warning System for floods in Cameroon
The Niger Basin Authority (NBA) and MINEPAT in Cameroon are joining forces to provide the national portion of the Niger Basin with an Early Warning System (EWS) for floods. The workshop brought together all the stakeholders involved in the operationalization of the EWS.
OMVS: Annual coordination meeting amid exceptional flooding of the Senegal River
Senegal’s river basin authority, the OMVS, held its annual coordination meeting in October 2024. The meeting brought together key stakeholders to review project progress and prepare for the upcoming Ministerial Council, while focusing on managing floods and protecting riverside populations.
SADC-GMI: Madimba Community Gains Access to Clean Water
Clean water finally flows in Madimba, Democratic Republic of Congo, transforming life for 2,143 residents. The water supply project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and CIWA through the World Bank, ends the community's long trek for water and opens new opportunities for health, education, and economic growth.
9th NCCR internship group on the theme "Eastern Nile Flood Forecasting and Early Warning"
The 9th group of interns for the Eastern Nile Flood Forecasting and Early Warning team hails from Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan. The main objectives are to increase regional collaboration, enhance the flood forecasting model, improve national capacity building in flood forecasting and early warning systems, better prepare for emergencies, and mitigate flood risks in Eastern Nile countries.
Reflecting on 2024: A year of progress for water security
As we wrap up 2024, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the milestones achieved and the transformative steps taken by the Global Department for Water. This year, great strides were made toward securing water for people, food, and the planet. Let’s revisit the top five highlights of 2024 and the achievements that shaped the World Bank’s efforts to improve water security.
Gender Equality: Why Women Matter in Irrigation
Irrigation is essential to ensuring a stable food supply, especially as climate change increasingly disrupts planting and harvest cycles. The sector is also an important source of job creation. How can we maximize its impact? The answer lies partly in investing in women. More insights in this World Bank water blog.
Last November, the 3rd Annual Development Forum hosted by the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) brought together over 300 participants, including researchers, practitioners, community leaders, national and international organizations, and civil society organizations.
World Water Week and SIWI in 2025
World Water Week returns August 24-28, 2025, focusing on "Water for Climate Action." SIWI's acting Executive Director Caroline Andersson highlights the event as a key meeting point for researchers, industry, and civil society to address water and climate challenges. The conference will be held both in Stockholm and online.
Going Beyond Water: CIWA Program Unveils 2024 Annual Report
The 2024 Annual Report of the Cooperation in International Waters in Africa (CIWA) program is available! This comprehensive report showcases CIWA’s continued commitment to fostering transboundary water cooperation and sustainable water resource management across the African continent.
In FY2024, CIWA strengthened its position as a vital facilitator of cross-border water cooperation, working closely with regional organizations and national governments to address the complex challenges of shared water resources.
The report highlights our key achievements in promoting climate-resilient water infrastructure, enhancing data sharing between riparian states, and building institutional capacity for water governance. It also outlines our strategic vision for the coming years, emphasizing the importance of innovative financing mechanisms and technology-driven solutions for water resource management.
We invite our partners, stakeholders, and the broader development community to explore this report and join us in our continued efforts to build a more water-secure Africa. The full report is available on our website and provides detailed insights into our programs, achievements, and future directions.
This year, the Annual Report 2024 is also available in flipbook version.
Save the date for these upcoming events
World Water Day 2025
The theme for World Water Day 2025 is “Glacier Preservation.” The day will be celebrated on March 22, 2025. The event will highlight the importance of glaciers in the water cycle and the need to reduce carbon emissions. Learn more here.
Regional Nile Day 2025: Get ready for the Celebrations
Celebrations organized by the Nile Basin Initiative for Nile Day 2025 will be held this year in Ethiopia, under the theme Strengthening Cooperation for Climate Resilience and Shared Prosperity. More info to come here.
CIWA’s social media engagement
Male Champions for Women’s Empowerment initiative & the #WomenInWaterDiplomacyNetwork gathered 56 voices from 40+ countries to discuss breaking barriers in water diplomacy ♀️💧
— World Bank Water (@WorldBankWater) November 27, 2024
Discover the powerful ideas shared: https://t.co/W6kKxzorma@CIWAprogram pic.twitter.com/CtpTWS1QVq
Initiatives like @OKACOM’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategy & Implementation Plan and the work of @SADC_GMI & @CIWAProgram aims to empower women in groundwater & foster diversity for more #sustainable water solutions 🌊⚙️♻️
— Cooperation in International Waters in Africa (@ciwaprogram) December 5, 2024
Read for more👉🏿🔗 https://t.co/SdC4dNgJUv pic.twitter.com/cCNTNvXBrI
ABOUT CIWA
Learn more about our program activities on our English and French Websites. And do follow us on Twitter @CIWAProgram. A special thank you to our editorial team, partners, reviewers and authors. Photo Credits: Shutterstock, Unsplash, Flickr and the World Bank.