Page 19 - Biodiversity and Conservation Framework

Biodiversity & Conservation Framework

Preparation, delivery, and implementation with NCORE A range of CIWA activities in the Volta River Basin yielded
financing of four Eastern Nile watershed management direct and indirect biodiversity benefits. The Volta River
projects and the promotion of climate-resilient catalytic and Basin Strategic Action Plan Implementation Project
transformative investment opportunities contributed strengthened VBA capacity to improve transboundary
indirectly to biodiversity action through both increased water resources management. The Action Plan provided
natural capital of ecosystems services and improved direct environmental and livelihood benefits through the
ecosystem integrity, species diversity, and connectivity. implementation of priority actions and institutional
Some specific activities include capacity building of Nile development. The VBA facilitated capacity building,
Equatorial Lakes riparian member states on water resources communication, and monitoring with national institutions to
allocation, dam safety, and reservoir operations and ensure a sustainable implementation of the Action Plan.
implementation of Catchment Management Plans. The Council of Ministers approved a CIWA-facilitated
Water Charter to strengthen the legal and institutional
framework for sustainable management of water and
West and Central Africa environmental resources. VBA trained over 200 CSOs
Information across six countries and provided small grants to projects in
forestry, biodiversity, and other environmental sciences.
At the regional level, CIWA supported the Sahel
Groundwater Initiative, which strengthened the foundation The Climate Resilience Investment Plan, which was
for enhanced groundwater knowledge and management endorsed by Heads of States of the Niger River Basin in
capacity in the Western Sahel, including GDEs. Following a November 2015 and presented at COP21 in Paris, helped
gap analysis and typology on GDEs in FY21, the technical Niger Basin Authority (NBA) states raise more than US$300
assistance in FY22 highlighted the economic importance of million for climate resilient investments. This activity
these ecosystems and identified how groundwater resource provided indirect biodiversity benefits such as enhanced
transboundary collaboration and the inclusion of climate
management that considers GDEs can contribute to change adaptation in freshwater resource planning.
equitable and sustainable development. The GDE analytics
are being extended to SSA and were included in a World
Bank groundwater flagship report, The Hidden Wealth of OMVS and NBA conducted smaller-scale activities
Nations: The Economics of Groundwater in Times of indirectly linked to biodiversity action to keep member
Climate Change. countries engaged in the shared management of water
resources alongside capacity building for staff, activities on
An advanced model for ecosystem services was developed information tools, and international legal instruments for
in the Inner Niger Delta, which will derive the water height shared water management. Finally, the Improving Water
over time as a function of inflow. The Lake Chad Basin Resources Management in West and Central Sahel
started implementing an integrated approach to the technical assistance produced indirect biodiversity benefits
development of a water security program, considering NBS through enhanced transboundary collaboration.
as a key instrument. These two activities linked both
directly and indirectly to biodiversity through knowledge Investments
generation and sharing and improved ecosystem integrity.
Investment projects aiming to restore degraded land
through agroforestry interventions and clearance of
The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) enhanced its invasive aquatic species contributed directly to biodiversity
hydrological data, forecasting, and tools to enable informed protection by improving sustainability of resources
decision for optimal water use at the basin level. LCBC and harvesting and agriculture practices. Small-scale
riparian states convened a Lake Chad Dialogue to exchange investments in fishery and aquaculture aiming to improve
knowledge on the lake’s characteristics and dynamics. livelihoods and food security provided similar benefits. In
CIWA funding enabled the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) to the Senegal Basin, the rehabilitation of 20,000 hectares of
disseminate knowledge products to support decision- irrigated land helped 60,000 farmers, contributing to food
making. These activities indirectly contributed to security while also improving agriculture practices.
biodiversity action through data gathering and exchange,
analytical and technical support, and provision of decision- The Lake Chad Development and Climate Resilience Action
making tools.
Plan secured multiple investments and enhanced regional
cooperation. This activity brought indirect biodiversity benefits
Institutions such as strengthened transboundary collaboration, inclusion of
climate change adaptation in resource planning, and decision-
The World Bank conducted feasibility studies, including
ESIAs, for Kandadji, Taoussa, Soukuru, and Fomi dams to making tools.
evaluate and minimize social and environmental risks, which
directly contributed to biodiversity protection. The Southern Africa
significant environmental and social risks identified with the Information
location of the Fomi dam in Guinea led to a decision to find
a new site. The Senegal River Basin Authority (OMVS) In Southern Africa, OKACOM’s MSIOA identified joint actions
updated the Senegal River Master Plan, an essential tool for in climate-resilient livelihoods enhancement, enhancing eco-
the shared development and allocation of basin water tourism and joint infrastructure development in member states.
resources. The Master Plan emphasized environmental The MSIOA contributed both directly and indirectly to
priorities introduced by the 2002 Senegal River Water biodiversity by facilitating data gathering and knowledge-
Charter. The activity produced both indirect and direct sharing, informing decision-making, safeguarding natural
biodiversity linkages through improved transboundary capital, improving ecosystem integrity, and integrating climate
cooperation and ecosystem-based policies. change adaptation in water resources management.

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