West and Central Africa
West and Central Africa faces increasing climate change impacts, including prolonged drought and unpredictable rainy seasons. The Sahel also suffers from fragility, violence, weak institutions, and political instability. In a region with widespread gender inequality, CIWA is working to ensure the equitable participation of women in decision making about water resources. It also is improving water security by addressing knowledge and capacity gaps, identifying investments and policy actions, and emphasizing the sustainable management and development of groundwater.
Lake Chad Water Security – this initiative assesses the current state of water security and transboundary cooperation in the Lake Chad Basin at the political (vision), institutional (roles), and technical (investments) levels. It is divided into two pillars: Pillar A focuses on building the analytical and institutional foundation for water security and informs the identification and design of activities under Pillar B to catalyze future investments. Know more.
Improving Water Resources Management in West and Central Sahel: the initiative aims to improve water resources management by identifying pragmatic investments and policy actions, as well as addressing critical knowledge and capacity gaps. Know more.
East Africa
East Africa faces numerous challenges, including food and water insecurity, growing violence and conflict, and climate change impacts. CIWA, which grew out of the progress made by the Nile Basin Trust Fund in water resources management and development in that basin, continues to enhance the region’s resilience to climate change and water insecurity through advancing water disaster mitigation and early warning systems.
The Nile Cooperation for Climate Resilience (NCCR) supports regional coordination on dam safety policies and flood early-warning systems in the Nile Basin. Know more.
Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Climate Resilience Program: NCCR also leveraged additional IDA funding for ENTRO and NELSAP-CU via this new Program so they can work closely with South Sudan in addressing the transboundary dimension of the floods. Know more.
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is facing cascading impacts from the worst drought in four decades, which CIWA is working to ameliorate. CIWA also is improving access to groundwater through nature-based infrastructure as the region’s cornerstone of water security. It is expanding the knowledge base on groundwater, strengthening the capacity of partners to manage and develop this valuable resource, working to understand the influences of water insecurity on FCV situations, and improving regional initiatives to build resilience.
Untapping Resilience in the Horn of Africa (HoA) strengthens regional cooperation and capacities in groundwater development and management and expanding the knowledge base on groundwater resources. Know more.
South Sudan Transboundary Waters Support Program – To complement the World Bank’s Regional Climate Resilience Program (RCRP) for Eastern and Southern Africa, which aims to increase resilience to water-related climate shocks, CIWA launched the Strengthening Transboundary River Basin Organizations through Program Development and Capacity Building in Africa and the South Sudan Transboundary Waters Support Program. The latter will include large-scale analytics and advisory support to deepen the dialogue on climate risk and water resource management in refugee hosting areas and define targeted interventions to maximize climate resilience at multiple scales. Know more.
Southern Africa
Prolonged drought conditions in Southern Africa are fueling food and water insecurity, poverty, and economic fragility. CIWA is addressing the region’s significant challenges managing its increasingly important groundwater resources. It is building resilience to drought by addressing cross-border drought risks, improving management of shared waters, and facilitating cooperation around sustainable management of transboundary aquifers and river basins.
The Southern African Development Community Groundwater Institute’s (SADC-GMI’s) Phase Two project: building on the dynamic Phase One project, this project provides the SADC-GMI strategic guidance on how to manage water and food security impacts, boost livelihoods, and adapt to climate change. Know more.
Support to Regional Climate Resilience in Eastern and Southern Africa: strengthening Transboundary Basin Organizations through Program Development and Capacity Building in Africa, is supporting the World Bank’s implementation of the Regional Climate Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa. RCRP is a regional IDA-funded multiphase programmatic approach that promotes a bottom-up and demand-driven strategy for regional cooperation and aims to increase resilience to regional water-related climate shocks. Phase 1 includes Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Sudan, the NBI, and SADC;36 Phase 2 includes Malawi and the African Union. Know more.