Page 22 - CIWA Water Data Revolution Overview Report

Water Data Revolution: Closing the data gap for transboundary water in Africa

while also extending capacity-building activities that will benefit not only the RBOs currently
involved but also those that may participate in the future. Moreover, the use of a common
platform fosters greater collaboration among RBOs. It can facilitate knowledge sharing and best
practices, allowing RBOs to learn from one another and adopt successful strategies used in other

regions. Given the characteristics of the WA+ methodology and its alignment with the objectives
of Pillar C, it was selected as the methodology for developing the Water Accounting tools under
this pillar.

5.2. Selection of participating RBOs

To implement Pillar C, the initial step involved identifying key RBOs from those that participated
in Pillar A, to determine where pilot projects for Water Accounting Dashboards could be
implemented. This pre-identification process was initiated based on an assessment of each RBO,
considering multiple key criteria such as capacity, current mandates/activities, potential for taking

on the initiative, current and past engagements with the World Bank, and the existence of similar
initiatives to avoid duplication and foster synergies. A significant portion of this process was
informed by the findings and analyses from Pillar A. Priority was given to RBOs where this
initiative could either initiate or strengthen engagement, acting as a catalyst for further dialogue
and collaboration.

The pre-identification exercise resulted in the selection of three RBOs: Volta Basin Authority
(VBA), Incomati and Maputo Watercourse Commission (INMACOM), and Zambezi Watercourse
Commission (ZAMCOM). Following this, conversations were initiated with these RBOs to
introduce them to the purpose of the initiative, outline the potential benefits, and clarify the
commitment required from them to carry it out. An important aspect of these engagements was
the mutual learning between the task team and the RBOs, particularly in understanding the
unique characteristics and specific data needs of each RBO to support their day-to-day operations

and engagements, which was a building block for strategizing the further development of the
dashboards and activities associated.

VBA, INMACOM, and ZAMCOM expressed strong interest in participating in this initiative,
emphasizing the value of having a sophisticated analytical tool that could deliver critical

information for planning measures to enhance efficient water resource management, particularly
in the absence of reliable ground-based data. This is particularly important given the limited
availability of such data. Consequently, these three RBOs formalized their interest in participating
in the initiative by submitting a request note to the World Bank. The spatial distribution and
location of the selected RBOs can be seen in Figure 7.

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