CIWA Quarterly Bulletin
Welcome to CIWA’s Quarterly BULLETIN!
As managers of the CIWA Program, on CIWA’s 10-year anniversary, we recommit ourselves to working across regional, national, and local levels to strengthen cooperation around transboundary water resources in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In light of this meaningful anniversary, we are pleased to share this edition with you.
And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter – @CIWAProgram.
Happy reading,
Erwin De Nys and Ai-Ju Huang
CIWA Program Manager and Deputy Program Manager
CIWA CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY!
The CIWA Program continues to make strong, steady progress. Our work with regional river basin organizations, governments, civil society groups, and communities have benefited nearly 37 million people across Sub-Saharan Africa. To mark our 10-Year Anniversary, we have launched a social media campaign to celebrate this milestone and generate more awareness about CIWA’s work.
What’s making a splash
THE SAHEL: ELEVATING GROUNDWATER KNOWLEDGE, EXPLORATION CAPACITY, AND RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
Les chefs d’équipe François Bertone et Mariam Sou abordent les principaux éléments de l’Initiative sur les eaux souterraines au Sahel dans cet entretien.
WATER SECTOR: ENHANCING AFRICAN WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
For the International Day of Rural Women, we spotlight two technical exchanges that create opportunities for women to meaningfully contribute to improving water quality and advance their careers in the water sector.
RIVERS AND AQUIFERS: HOW CAN WE MEASURE SUCCESS IN TRANSBOUNDARY WATER COOPERATION?
La Banque mondiale et CIWA ont tenté d'aborder cette question en prenant un domaine clé de la coopération internationale où nous soutenons nos pays membres depuis des décennies : la coopération sur les rivières et les aquifères transfrontaliers.
NEW WORKING PAPER ON TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS ENGAGEMENT IN WEST AFRICA
This working paper examines the World Bank's engagement in transboundary waters in West Africa over the past 20 years.
BIODIVERSITY & EFFECTIVE TRANSBOUNDARY WATER COOPERATION PROGRAMS
Senior Environmental Specialist Sarah Moyer summarizes initiatives aligning transboundary water cooperation with biodiversity protection.
CIWA RELEASES ITS TENTH ANNUAL REPORT IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH
We are pleased to share this 2021 edition of our Annual Reports, available in English and also in French.
What’s new in transboundary waters cooperation
AMCOW embraces groundwater in Africa
The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) embraces groundwater as key to health and socio-economic development in Africa through a new UK-funded Networking Project. “Groundwater is critical in combating the coronavirus in Africa. Most people, especially in rural areas, depend on it for everything,” says AMCOW Program Director Paul Orengoh.
Women and youth climate change champions engaging communities for environmental sustainability
The Uganda Nile Discourse Forum (UNDF), in partnership with the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD) Regional secretariat, provided training sessions for women and youth on water for environmental sustainability and climate resilience under NBD’s CIWA/WB supported “Engaging Civil Society for Social and Climate Resilience in the Nile Basin” project.
Southern African countries collaborate for water security
Karen Villholth, Sub-Theme Leader on Groundwater at the International Water Management Institute, shares why groundwater is important for the Southern Africa region as surface water becomes less available and more erratic.
2022: the year to elevate the value of water
Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), provides his reflections on 2021, points to how some places have become more difficult to live in, and emphasizes the need to value water.
Climate change and the global south: the case of Africa
Should climate change continue unaddressed, it is estimated that, of the additional 30–170 million people who are likely to suffer from malnutrition or under-nutrition globally in the coming years, three-quarters will be in Africa.
IGRAC launches new Transboundary Aquifers of the World Map 2021
IGRAC (International Groundwater Resources Assessment Center) has published the new Transboundary Aquifers of the World Map (TBA Map) 2021. The TBA Map 2021 shows 468 identified transboundary aquifers/aquifer systems underlying almost every nation. The new map was launched at the opening ceremony of the ISARM 2021 Conference.
SPOTLIGHT | Water Cooperation in the Horn of Africa: Addressing Drivers of Conflict and Strengthening Resilience
The Horn of Africa is a region exposed to the risks of water insecurity due to population growth and the impact of climate change. The double impact of climate stress and violent conflict has led to increased social vulnerability and political fragility, which in turn affects the region’s prospects for adapting to changing environmental conditions. Cooperation over water resources as a policy option to address such challenges has been high on the research and policy agenda for decades. International and national policymakers are particularly interested in how different forms of water cooperation can mitigate the drivers of conflict, prevent the escalation of tensions,
and build resilience to better respond to the impacts of climate change. A new joint CIWA-Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report aims to help to fill this research gap by exploring the role of local-level cooperative initiatives in improving water resource challenges in the Horn of Africa. The report draws on three illustrative case studies of transboundary basins in cross-border regions: the Sio–Malaba–Malakisi Basin. In doing so, it provides lessons learned from existing cooperative initiatives. Learn more about SIPRI.
Save the date for these upcoming events
9th World Water Forum - March 21-26
The global water community will meet in Dakar, Senegal, for the first-ever World Water Forum to take place in Africa. This year’s theme is, “Water Security for Peace and Development.” The forum will bring together governments, water organizations, the private sector, civil society organizations, and other entities. To learn more about the forum, visit this link.
World Water Day 2022 - March 22
World Water Day, a United Nations Observance Day, is held on March 22 every year. This year’s World Water Day theme is, “Groundwater: Making the Invisible, Visible” to recognize groundwater as a critical water resource and underscore the need to work together to sustainably manage it. Read more here.
CIWA’s social media engagement
Check out @ciwaprogram’s NEW 10-Year Anniversary Report. It showcases CIWA’s progress in transboundary water cooperation in #Africa, along with a focus on climate resilience, FCV, biodiversity, gender, communities & youth engagement: https://t.co/rWmTZzUELO pic.twitter.com/KvVipm3PGM
— World Bank Climate (@WBG_Climate) December 27, 2021
Tune in to @CIWAProgram’s NEW podcast featuring Sr Environmental Specialist Sarah Moyer. Sarah summarizes how the @WorldBank & the @CIWAProgram are exploring ways to align #transboundary #water cooperation efforts with freshwater #biodiversity protection https://t.co/5VVeR0w9kh pic.twitter.com/tukNLVY40H
— Cooperation in International Waters in Africa (@ciwaprogram) October 27, 2021
What is the @ciwaprogram doing to cultivate the next generation of water sector specialists in Sub-Saharan Africa?
— Ousmane Diagana (@ousmane_diagana) January 5, 2022
Read how these efforts elevate transboundary water cooperation to have greater impact on people's lives. https://t.co/QogMZa0WXu pic.twitter.com/EUcuGT9GYJ
Comment l’initiative sur les eaux souterraines au Sahel du programme CIWA, qui entre dans sa deuxième année, parvient-elle à avancer et à préparer la formation de la prochaine génération d’hydrogéologues, malgré la pandémie mondiale ? https://t.co/7UPYusjmPq pic.twitter.com/L7ZqrmTmQw
— IFC - Société financière internationale (@IFC_fr) January 4, 2022
ABOUT CIWA
CIWA, a multi-donor trust fund, continues to support riparian governments in West, East, Central, and Southern Africa and their path toward more sustainable, data-driven, community-focused, and collaborative management of transboundary waters.
Learn more about our program activities on our English et de French Websites.
To follow CIWA on Twitter, visit @ciwaprogram
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Photo Credits: Shutterstock and Unsplash Images, World Bank/ Flickr