The Technical Expert Committee of the Integrated water resources management meets in Abuja

Members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), comprising water resources experts from Member States and West African basin organizations, are meeting in Abuja from June 25-27, 2024, for the 11th ordinary session of the technical expert committee of the Permanent Framework for Coordination and Monitoring of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in West Africa.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Kouakou Alexis Kouassi, Director of the Water Resources Coordination Centre in Ouagadougou, highlighted the historical milestones in the regional IWRM process, including the adoption of a Regional IWRM Action Plan in December 2000, the establishment of the Permanent Coordination and Monitoring Framework (PCMF) in December 2001, and the adoption of the West African Water Resources Policy (WAWRP) in December 2008. While these initiatives have fostered regional consensus and accelerated IWRM implementation, recent years have faced challenges, particularly the absence of PCMF statutory meetings since 2015.

The meeting aims to revitalize the regional IWRM process by reviewing the implementation of resolutions from the 4th Ordinary Session. Key resolutions to be produced include promoting new transboundary basin organizations, structural reform and capacity building of water resources management centres (WRMC), regular PCMF meetings, and establishing a regional consultation mechanism on integrated ecosystem management.

He called on participants to address critical issues for IWRM and sustainable development in West Africa. These include draft directives on managing shared water resources and developing hydraulic infrastructures, the WRMC’s 2025-2035 strategic plan, and the promotion of a West African water fund. Additionally, a special session will focus on a regional initiative for water resource development, resilience, and enhancement, supported by ECOWAS, WAEMU, CILSS, and the World Bank, aimed at long-term regional transformation.

The TEC meeting will be followed by the 5th Ordinary Session of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee of IWRM in West Africa, on Friday, 28^th June 2024. This session will consider reports and recommendations from the experts’ meeting, including the draft ECOWAS-WRMC Strategic Plan 2020-2030, the Draft Directive on the Development of Water Infrastructure in West Africa, the draft guideline on the management of shared water resources in West Africa, the revival of the program for promoting new transboundary basin organizations in West Africa, and the operationalization of the Regional Water Observatory.