Addressing Water Management Challenges in a Transboundary Setting

STIMULATING STAKEHOLDERS’ SUPPORT FOR MANAGING SHARED WATERS – experiences from the Volta Basin in West Africa KwameKwame Odame-AbabioOdame-Ababio (IUCN-PACO) Coordinator,Coordinator, VoltaVolta WaterWater GovernanceGovernance ProjectProject IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 KeyKey factsfacts aboutabout thethe VoltaVolta BasinBasin The Volta River Basin is shared by six countries-(Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali & Togo). It covers nearly 400,000 km2 of the sub-humid to semi-arid West-African savannah zone 85% of the total basin area is shared between Burkina Faso and Ghana Its water is a key developmental resource. IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 WRMWRM ChallengesChallenges inin thethe VoltaVolta 90.00 88.00 86.00 Misconception about impacts of 84.00 climate variability 82.00 80.00 78.00 MonthlyWater level(m) 76.00 74.00 Absence of coordination 72.00 70.00 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 Year Farming on river banks, Erosion on river banks due contributing to silting of to poor farming practices river channel IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 StrategicStrategic focusfocus ofof PAGEVPAGEV Projet d’Amélioration de la Gouvernance de l’Eau dans le bassin de la Volta – PAGEV- focuses on: Fixing the governance deficiencies in the basin that translate into; uncoordinated management of the basin; competing use of land and water resources (potential sources of conflicts); weak capacity of countries to deal with transboundary environmental threats such as water pollution, deforestation, flooding, etc; . Build on previous and on-going consultations and joint initiatives on water management between Burkina Faso and Ghana. To utilize the strengths of relevant on-going and planned initiatives in order to establish necessary linkages between Science (Knowledge base) and policy (Institutional adjustments) theory (IWRM principles & national water policies) and practice (stakeholder consultation,IV International Symposium pilot on TWM, field Thessaloniki. interventions October 2008 ) GeographicalGeographical focusfocus ofof PAGEVPAGEV PAGEV_Pilot Zone Tenkodogo " ± Zékézé Bagre " Béléyerla Sampema ZABRE Bittou BITTOU" Mogr-noré Noahou gauge Sampéma " Zekeze Mogr_noore_ Mognori_GH Beleyerla Bawku Sapeliga " Burkina Faso Kobore " Zebilla " BawkuSakom West dam • Ghana Eight communities Bawku Sapelliga Municipal involved in pilot IWRM Mognori Legend Sakom Kugrasia (4 in Burkina Faso and 4 " Major towns Garu-Tempane Pilot Communities (dam) Bawku_West District in Ghana): Garu_Tempane District Bawku Municipality Kugrasia • Bittou Department 2 departments in BF Boundary Line 0 10 20 40 Kilometers Zabre Department • 3 districts in GH bagre_dam IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 Multi-levelMulti-level partnerspartners forfor TWMTWM engagedengaged River banks protection committees formed in 8 communities & regular consultations and awareness raising organized. Joint planning sessions with technical services (Agric, Forestry, Environment, Animal Husbandry) and NGOs organized. Multi-level stakeholders platform enhanced with participation of Prefects and District Chiefs in SC meetings IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 ImpulseImpulse forfor collaborationcollaboration andand buildingbuilding trusttrust setset A water audit providing the dynamics of water availability and demand undertaken and a DSS for predicting water demand and supply impacts under various climatic scenarios has been proposed. DGRE supported to rehabilitate two river gauging stations A joint water quality monitoring of selected wells and sites undertaken by teams from Burkina Faso and Ghana. IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 LandLand && waterwater conservationconservation linkedlinked toto livelihoodlivelihood improvementsimprovements Over 16 km of River banks reforested with fruit & other trees to provide alternatives for income generation and fuel wood. Farmers supported to increase cropping areas for vegetable farming- extra incomes of over 90 000 FCFA made in the last dry season. IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 GenderGender perspectivesperspectives mainstreamedmainstreamed intointo IWRMIWRM interventionsinterventions Women empowered for trees nurseries management Communities supported to dig wells - bringing relief to the communities, particularly women who spend time looking for water for domestic chores Custom still limit access to land by women:- Women groups are being supported to rear small ruminants to earn income. IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 CollaborativeCollaborative TWMTWM frameworksframeworks improvedimproved Local Trans-boundary Committee (14) Country Committee Country Committee BF GH Communities Communities White Volta + Technical Services + Technical Services Basin Board Nakanbé + Administration + Administration Water Agency +NGOs/Civil Society +NGOs/Civil Society •Guidelines for internal operations of the local transboundary committee and the Grassroots Grassroots national forums Communities Communities formulated 4 villages BF 4 villages GH •A Code of Conduct for the management IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 of the shared WR formulated VOLTA BASIN AUTHORITY BENIN TOGO BURKINA GHANA MALI COTE FASO d`IVOIRE MMEE MMEE MAHRH MWRWH MMEE MEEF Emerging basin-wide JTC- Code DGRE IWRM/ WRC of Cond PAGEV uct Institutional Trans- Local Trans-boundary Committee setup border (14) Guideli nes Country Committee Country Committee BURKINA FASO GHANA Nakanbé Water Representatives of Representatives of White Volta the Communities the Communities Agency + Technical Services + Technical Services Basin Board + Administration + Administration +NGOs/Civil Society +NGOs/Civil Society (31) (30) Grassroots Grassroots Communities Communities 4 villages BF 4 villages GH (12) (12) IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 ReflectionsReflections onon lessonslessons fromfrom projectproject implementationimplementation Technical level cooperation could enhance improvement in information sharing (e.g. flood warning from operators of Bagré dam) and provided impulse to building trust Power of community-level participation is evident when the outcomes of participation are clearly linked to the improvement of livelihood of participating communities; Planning and implementation of community-based actions can be successfully shared between sectors as well as between communities across boundaries; The multi-stakeholder/participatory approach is slow, expensive and time consuming. It has however, helped to mobilize partnership with Ministries, and decentralized local government, NGOs and civil society; IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 ReplicabilityReplicability ofof PAGEVPAGEV interventionsinterventions Presently, transboundary coordination involving all six riparian states of the Basin has evolved – the convention for the establishment of the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) has been signed, - strengthening the collaboration with initiatives (UNEP/ GEF-Volta project and VBA) will ensure the replication of PAGEV experiences The buffer zones creation initiated by PAGEV are being replicated by the Regional Directorates of Agriculture and other community based projects in Burkina Faso and Ghana as part of support to communities to improve small-scale irrigation for food security. IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 For further information visit the following sites:- http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/cwaro/programmes/peauzh/index.cfm http://www.gwpforum.org/gwp/library/Running_Water_N16.pdf THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION IV International Symposium on TWM, Thessaloniki. October 2008 .

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