Regional Networking for Capacity Development in IWRM – WANet Experience

1. Regional Networking for Capacity Development in IWRM – WANet Experience Regional Roundtable on Sustainable Development of the Lake Chad BasinUniversity of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria20 – 22 February, 2007 Dr. Dogara Bashir and Dr M.O. Eduvie National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna, Nigeria

2. Layout of the presentation • Regional Water Challenges • Status of IWRM in West Africa • Capacity Building strategies • WA-Net Mission and Objectives • How WA-Net is organised • Structure of WA-Net • Network Performance • Network Major Constraints

3. About Water …. Constant amount of Water in the hydrologic cycle Growing Population Growing Economic Activities Increasing Demand for Water Growing Pollution Competition for Scarce Water Need for Conflict Resolution

4. About Water • A “Single” Resource – no substitute • A Limited Resource • A Scarce Resource (or is it?) • Has Social, Economic, and Environmental Value • Poor water management and water shortages can lead to disease, malnutrition, reduced economic growth, social instability, conflict, and environmental disaster.

5. Global Freshwater 87% Not Accessible 13% Accessible (0.4% of global) The Global Water Budget Global Water 97% Seawater 3% Freshwater

6. A Challenge to Water Management

8. Population and Growth Tendency in W. Africa Source: WHO/UNICEF, 2000

9. Countries with Water Related Stress in W. Africa Source: WHO/UNICEF, 2000

10. Regional Water Challenges • Hydrological: • spatial and temporal variability • recurring and prolonged droughts • increasing desertification • Socio-economic: • high and rapid growing population • increasing urbanisation • increasing poverty • inefficient agricultural/irrigation practices • decreasing and poor industrial practices • Environmental: • poor and fragmented watershed management • water pollution & destruction of aquatic habitats • excessive and uncontrolled groundwater exploitation • poor environmental sanitation and hygiene practices

11. Regional Water Challenges • Institutional: • fragmented management (role definition) • inadequate coordination (horizontally/vertically) • policy inconsistency • inadequate stakeholder participation • insufficient hydro-meteorological information • Financial: • irrational pricing policies for raw/treated water • Non-collection of pollution charges • Lack of transparency and accountability • inadequate financing for watershed protection • inadequate financing for data management • Transboundary Waters: • Many shared water resources (major ones are Rivers Niger and Lake Chad • growing concern: NBA, LCBC, NNJC, etc. • Regional efforts weak

12. The West African Water Scene • Diversity of freshwater resourcesrainfall, wetlands, rivers, streams, lakes, creeks & aquifers • Demands are outstripping supplies population growth, urbanisation, land use changes, over-abstraction and pollution • Environmental/Ecological issues are serious Wells, lakes, rivers and wetlands are drying up • Policy and institutional issues are complicated • Current approach is sectoral and fragmented Consequences on biodiversity and the health & livelihood of riparian inhabitants • Sustainability highly questionable

13. The Way Forward • Participatory and integrated approach • Demand oriented approach (with concern for sustainabilty of vital ecosystems and the health & livelihood of riparian inhabitants) • Calls for the introduction of IWRM (holistic approach, participatory, integration, economic and social consederation and sustainability of vital ecosystems)

14. Status of IWRMin West Africa • IWRM is being discussed at the policy level in most countries in West Africa • Some countries have taken steps towards implementation • Capacity demands have emerged from the implementation of IWRM in West Africa • Inadequate institutional and human resource capacity in West Africa • Capacity gaps exist at all levels of implementation

15. Capacity Building strategies • North-South knowledge transfer • Supply driven education and training (faulty; fundamentally flawed; not up to the challange) • Indigenous capacity should be developed • Local involvement in knowledge building • Global knowledge should be adapted (practical; feasible; sustainable; greater impact) • High premium on local expertise • Sets the stage for regional co-operation

16. The need for a partnership/regional effort • Multidisciplinary nature of IWRM calls for co-ordination among CBIs • Resources are limited - both institutional and humanresources • Capacity gaps can be filled by building on the strengths of partners • DCE (Ghana), NWRI (Nigeria) and EIER/ETSHER (B/Faso) with support from Cap-Net and WAWP responded to the call for partnership in June 2002: WA-Net

17. Cap-Net Global partnership for Capacity Building in IWRM

18. What is WA-Net? • Regional network of individuals & Capacity BuildingInstitutions(CBIs) in West Africa • (individuals & CBIs in training/education/research in IWRM) • WA-Net: Alocal response to capacity demands and needs in IWRM & the global call for partnership among CBIs

19. WA-Net’s Mission To Strengthen institutions and human capacitythrough partnership for the successful implementation of IWRM in West Africa Sub-region

20. WA-Net’s objectives • Enhance regional coorperation among CBIs in West Africa for IWRM • Strengthen the Human Resource & Institutional capacities of individuals and CBIs in West Africa • Facilitate research and demand driven training and education in IWRM among CBIs in West Africa • Promote the implementation of IWRM in West Africa

21. How is WA-Netorganized? 3 nodes with nodal centers in: • Burkina Faso • Ghana • Nigeria

22. Burkina Faso Node coordinates activities in: • Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, • Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, • Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo • The Node is hosted by: • Group (EIER/ETSHER), Ougadougou, Burkina Faso

23. Ghana Node coordinates activities in: • Gambia, • Ghana, • Liberia and • Sierra Leone • The Node is hosted by: • Kwame Nkurmah Univ. of Science & Tech., Kumasi, Ghana. It is also currently hosting the Network Secretariat

24. Nigeria Node coordinates activities in: • Nigeria only, because of its size and the number of CBIs • The Node is hosted by: • National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna, Nigeria

25. Annual General Meeting Network Secretariat Steering Committee Board of Advisers B/FASO Nodal Centre GHANA Nodal Centre NIGERIA Nodal Centre CBIs in Francophone Countries CBIs in Rest of Anglophone Countries CBIs in Nigeria Structure of WA-Net

26. Network Performace • A 5-member Steering Committee in place comprising: • the 3 nodal institutions, • Cap-Net, and • WAWP • 3 Steering Committee meetings held in: • Accra in 2003 • Ougadougou in 2004 • Niamey 2005 • Network Secretariat established and working including appointment (on part-time) of: • Network Administrator (3 hrs/day), and • Administrative Asst. (4 hrs/day)

27. Network Performance ... • IWRM & CBIs survey completed in Anglophone countries and still ongoing in Francophone countries • membership drive with current membership at 64 as follows: • Nigeria 21 • Ghana 18 • Sierra Leone 16 • Gambia 5 • Liberia 4 • Francophone countries still collating

28. Network Performance ... • Constitution drafted and accepted as working document • Strategic Plan drafted with the assistance of Cap-Net Secretariat • Capacity Building of members through attending regional and global conferences, seminars, symposia and ToT workshops • Production of publicity materials and network brochure and distribution by members at various national and international fora • Presentations on WA-Net, by members, in various international, regional and national conferences

29. Network Performance ... • Participate in drafting training materials on IWRM plans together with WaterNet, Cap-Net and GWP • Communication within the network by e-mail regularly and by telephone when necessary • E-mail list of members compiled • 2 Regional ToTs on IWRM held in • Kaduna in December 2004 (English) • Benin Republic in July 2005 (French)

30. Network Performance ... • 2 proposals drafted and being circulated for funding • A proposal seeking funding has been submitted to the ECOWAS Water Coordinating Unit • A planning workshop on Capacity building for sustainable management of groundwater in West Africa has been held in Ougadougou on 15th to 16th February 2007 • A ToT on Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills for IWRM is holding on 26-30 March 2007 in Accra, Ghana.

31. Network Major Constraints • Inadequate funding • So far funding is mostly through Cap-Net and WAWP • Network yet to make in roads with regional organisations (ECOWAS, NBA, LCBC, AfDB), National Governments and Organised Private Sector • Low level of ICT in the region makes communication difficult • Low priority accorded capacity building in the region • Insignificant attention given to research by Governments in the region

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