7
Information: Fax: +33 4 93 65 44 02 - E-mail:
AFRICA
The News N° 25
FRom one conTinenT To anoTHeR
AfricaWater Forum 2014
Preparation of the 7
th
World Water Forum
Prior to the 7
th
World
Water Forum, April 2015
in South Korea,
the
Africa Water Forum
2014
was held inOuaga-
dougou from 12 to 14
June2014, gatheringover
650 participants around
the question: ”
how to facilitate access to
water and sanitation services for eve-
ryone inAfrica?”
Facedwith quick population growth and urba-
nization (the continentwill havenearly3billion
people by 2050, including 60% of urban peo-
ple), with the effects of increasing climate
disturbance, access to safe drinkingwater and
improved sanitation for everyone in Africa, as
well as availability for otherwater uses, suchas
irrigationandenergyproduction, arebecoming,
more than ever,major challenges.
In this event, jointly organized by the Govern-
ment of Burkina Faso and 2IE in partnership
with the AfricanMinisterial Council onWater
(AMCOW) and the World Water Council,
IOWater intervened as facilitator on the
two following sessions:
l
Cooperation and development of
large hydraulic structures in trans-
boundarybasins inAfrica;
l
Pedagogical Innovation for increasing
capacity building in the water and
sanitation sector?
4
AFRICAWATERFORUM2014
L’Afriqueseprépareau
7
ème
ForumMondialde l’Eau
Ouagadougou,BurkinaFaso
12au14 juin2014
(12-17April2015)
Niger Basin Authority (NBA)
Improving flood forecasting and early warning systems
The German International Cooperation
Agency for Development (GIZ)
is funding
the project for supporting the
NBA
in the
improvement of flood forecasting and early
warning systems.
The Deltares-IOWater-UNESCO IHE
Group is responsible for implementing
the project,
whose overall aim is to reduce
the vulnerability to flooding for the people
living along theNiger River.
Activities, that are part of this project imple-
mentation, are:
l
Mapping hazards and flood risks in the
areas concerned;
l
Developing a flood forecasting model
that takes intoaccount themeteorological
and hydrological aspects;
l
Improving the management of the Niger
HYCOS project;
l
Supporting the
NBA
in the improvement
and development of an early warning
system.
Several jointmissionswere thus carriedout at
NBA
head office inNiamey, in order to study
the
NBA
current
flood forecasting system
(Forecasting Computer System - SIP) and
identify opportunities for development. The
first maps and forecasting tests will bemade
in 2015.
4
The Lake Chad Basin Commission
(LCBC),
established in 1964, is mandated to
carry out sustainable and fairmanagement of
the lake, its tributaries and other shared
resources in the basin. It is also in charge of
the conservation of ecosystems, of peace-
keeping and cross-border security.
The “Lake Chad Conservation project -
Contribution to the Lake Development
Strategy”,
funded by the French Global En-
vironment Facility (FFEM) has two compo-
nents: one related to joint expertise andmo-
deling, implemented by the Institute of
Research for Development (IRD), and the
other related to the entry into force of the
Water Charter and the strengthening of rela-
tionships with other
LCBC
Basin Organiza-
tions, implemented by
the International
Office forWater (IOWater).
The activities carried out by
IOWater
focus
on the preparation of the Annexes to the
Charter, the stakeholders’ awareness raising
for its ratification, but alsoof theUNConven-
tionof 1997, and the establishment of strate-
gies on the relationships between LCBC and
its partners.
Four workshops were organized to in-
form about theWater Charter and the
1997 Convention, as well as a study
tour to Paris of LCBC experts.
On this oc-
casion, they attended a debriefing meeting
organized by the FFEM.
Aworkshop will be organized in early 2015
to shareexperiences and the strengtheningof
LCBC
relations with other transboundary
basin organizations.
A communication
brochure for parliamentarians is being
developed to support the ratification of
theWater Charter.
The achievement of this project will allow
strengthening the legal and institutional
framework of the
LCBC,
to ensure betterma-
nagement of water resources in the basin,
and thus improve thewell-being of people.
4
Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC)
Water Charter of the Basin
