Uncovering the socio-economic potential of Groundwater-dependent Ecosystems in the Sahel
Posted in : Latest on 13 December 2023
In the Sahel region, where water resources are mostly underground, groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) are important lifelines for communities, around which a multitude of social interactions and economic activities develop. Healthy ecosystems are key for livelihoods and economies. GDEs provide direct goods and services to humans including fish, livestock, plants, medicines, timber, and water storage and […]
Harnessing the Potential of Groundwater to Enhance Pastoral Productivity in the Sahel
Posted in : Latest on 15 November 2023
Pastoralism is a major economic and livelihood pillar in the Sahel region, where more than 20 million people rear livestock to support their families. The livestock sector contributes 15 percent of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP), but pastoralists are extremely vulnerable to climate uncertainty and water scarcity because of their itinerant lifestyle and the […]
Catalyzing Farmer-Led Irrigation Development in the Sahel from Shallow Groundwater
Posted in : Latest on 10 October 2023
Groundwater is usually considered shallow when the water table is found less than 8 m deep. This allows its abstraction with an inexpensive surface pump operating by suction. Regional studies conducted in the six Sahelian countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal— conclude that there is huge potential to develop shallow groundwater for farmers […]
Innovation at at Time of Unprecedented Challenges: World Water Week 2023
Posted in : Videos on 21 September 2023
Every year, water experts, policymakers, and stakeholders meet in Stockholm to discuss topics such as water management, climate change, and sustainable development, aiming to accelerate action towards achieving water security and resilience. This year’s topic focused on innovation at a time of unprecedented challenges, aiming to rethink how we manage water.
Leaving No One Behind: CIWA’s Integration of a Social Inclusion Perspective
Posted in : Latest on 18 August 2023
The World Bank positions social inclusion as creating opportunities for all people while addressing deep-rooted systemic inequalities. The Cooperation in International Waters in Africa (CIWA), a World Bank trust partnership that supports riparian governments in Sub-Saharan Africa to address constraints to cooperative management and development of transboundary waters, recognizes the importance of applying a social […]
Overflowing with biodiversity: protecting the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area
Posted in : Latest on 11 June 2023
In the Great Limpopo TFCA (Transfrontier Conservation Area), which straddles Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, sits the Pafuri-Sengwe Node, a geography highly susceptible to both drought and poverty. These threaten livelihoods and leave communities less equipped to support biodiversity protection. Through CIWA’s Southern Africa Drought Resilience Initiative (SADRI), the World Bank supports work to identify […]
Cubango-Okavango Basin Sustaining a Crucial Water Source for the Living
Posted in : Latest on 11 May 2023
The environmental integrity and long-term protection of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin depend on addressing the underlying drivers of poverty. Accelerated environmental changes in the basin are largely driven by four factors – population dynamics, land use change, poverty, and climate change – leading to deterioration in water quality, changes in the flood pulse and diminishing […]
Senegal Mauritanian Aquifer Basin: preserving unique riparian ecosystems
Posted in : Latest on 11 April 2023
The continent’s third-longest river, the Senegal River, stretches across Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania. It is the lifeblood of the area, rich in biodiversity, providing people with water for energy, irrigation, and drinking. In a region plagued by drought and poverty, this river could have become the source of conflict. Instead, it is one of […]
A Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Future for Lake Victoria
Posted in : Latest on 11 February 2023
If protected, this body of water has the potential to serve as an economic powerhouse – capable of creating green jobs, supporting subsistence and market economies, and securing the future of major population centers several hundred kilometers away. That is the promise and potential of the largest of the African Great Lakes – Lake Victoria. […]
Water Security as the Way Out of the Conflict-Climate Risk Trap in Lake Chad Basin
Posted in : Videos on 11 January 2023
Watch our video explainer: how CIWA is working to improve water Security as the Way Out of the Conflict-Climate Risk Trap in Lake Chad Basin