Report No. 20705-NIR Niger TowardsWater ResourceManagement Public Disclosure Authorized June 30, 2000 Water and Urban 11 Africa Region Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Documentof the WorldBank PRINCIPAL ACRONYMSAND ABBREVIATIONS USED AFD French Cooperationfor Development AfDB African DevelopmentBank ACMAD African Center for MeteorologicalApplication for Development ADA Associationfor Developmentof Aquaculture ALG LiptakoGouma Authority ANPIP Niger Agencyfor Private IrrigationPromotion AGRHYMET Center for AgrometeorologicalApplications BADEA Arab Bankfor EconomicDevelopment in Africa BOT Build Operate and Transfer CAID CanadianAgency for InternationalDevelopment CAS Country Assistance Strategy CBLT Lake Chad Basin Commission CFTEA Center for Practical Training in Water and SanitationSector Operations CILSS Inter-StateCommittee against Drought in the Sahel DIH Hydraulic InfrastructureDivision DDH/DDE Hydraulics and EnvironmentDepartmental Division DGR Rural EngineeringDivision DRE Water ResourcesDivision ECOWAS EconomicCommunity for West African States FED EuropeanDevelopment Fund FAC Aid and CooperationFund FAO United NationsFood and AgricultureOrganization FCFA CFA Frane GEF Global Fund for Environment GDP/GNP Gross DomesticProduct/Gross National Product GoN Governmentof Niger GWH Gigawatt/Hour GTZ German TechnicalCooperation HCBK High Commissionfor the KandadjiDam IDWSS InternationalDecade for DrinkingWater Supplyand Sanitation IUCN Intemational Union for the Conservationof Nature KfW German Cooperation MAG/E Ministry of Agricultureand Livestock ME/I Ministry of Infrastructureand Transport MME Ministry of Mines and Energy MSP Ministry of Public Health MWR Ministry of Water Resources NBA Niger Basin Authority NGOs Non-GovernmentalOrganizations NWC National Water Commission PAQ Five Yar Plan PBVT Lower Tarka Valley Project PEM Water SupplyPoint PGRN Nature ResourcesManagement Project PHN National Water Program(Programme Hydraulique National) PNEDD National EnvironmentalPlan for SustainableDevelopment PRE Economic RecoveryProgram OFEDES GroundwaterResources Authority OPEC Organizationof PetroleumExporting Countries SEDEP Soci te Electrique et de Diwloppement Energetique dePolynesie SIGNER Niger GeographicInformation System SNE National Water Company(Socicti Nationale de l'Eau) SNP National Water Company(Socictt Nationaledu Patrimoine,ex-SNE) SSO Saharaand Sahel Observatory UNDP UnitedNations DevelopmentProgram UGREs Water ManagementUnits UNESCO UnitedNations Education,Sciences, and Culture Organization USAID US Agency for InternationalDevelopment WADB West Afriean DevelopmentBank WARDA West Afra Rice DevelopmentAssociation WSP Water Supply Program Vice President: Callisto Madavo I Task ManaRer: TracYHart TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................... i CHAPTER 1. THE CONTEXT ................................................................ 1 A. Introduction............................................................... 1I B. Niger's Water Resources ............................................................... I C. Niger's Water Plan Process Reviewed ................................................................ 7 D. Niger's Short-and Medium Term Water Investment Program ..............................................................9 E. Niger's Priorities for the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector ............................................................10 F. Critical Challenges Ahead ............................................................... 11 CHAPTER 11. MANAGING NIGER'S WATER RESOURCES ..........................................................12 A. Water Resource Information and Data Management ........................................... .................... 12 B. Institutional Arrangements ............................................................... 13 C. Stakeholder Participationand Civil Society ................... ............................................ 19 D. Legal and Regulatory Framework............................................................... 20 E. Economics and Financing Aspects ............................................................... 21 CHAPTER III. REVIEW OF THE MASTER PLAN AND THE WAY FORWARD ........... .............27 A. Conclusions of the Master Plan ............................................................... 27 B. Implications for the Water Sub-Sectors............................................................... 28 C. Review and Recommendations............................................................... 29 REFERENCES............................................................... 38 ANNEX 1: COUNTRY AT A GLANCE ............................................................... 41 ANNEX 2: WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY: QUANTITY AND QUALITY ........... ............43 A. Introduction............................................................... 43 B. Topography and Climate .................. 43 C. Surface Water Resources .44................ ....,, .......................,,,,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,...............,,,... 44 D. Groundwater Resources............................................ 46 ANNEX 3: NIGER AQUIFER CHARACTERISTICS ............................................ 48 A. Pollution............................................ 49 B. Watershed Degradation ............................................ 49 ANNEX 4: WATER RESOURCE USE BY SUB-SECTORS ............................................ 52 A. Introduction............................................ 52 B. Agricultural Water............................................ 52 C. Water for Livestock. 56 D. Potable Water Supply and Waste Management............................................ 57 E. Hydropower and Multi-Purpose Reservoirs ............................................ 64 F. Fisheries............................................. 67 G. Wetlands and Wildlife............................................ 68 ANNEX 5: THE GOVERNMENT'S WATER INVESTMENT PROGRAM ............... ........................72 ANNEX 6: NATIONAL WATER PROGRAM (PHN) ..................................................................... 80 ANNEX 7: PRINCIPAL REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO WHICH NIGER BELONGS .......... 92 ANNEX 8: PRINCIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS RELATED TO THE WATER SECTOR IN NIGER........................................................................... 93 ANNEX 9: NIGER DEVELOPMENTASSISTANCE BY DEPARTMENT: DONORS AND NGO PROGRAMS........................................................................... 94 ANNEX 10: WATER-RELATEDPROJECTS FUNDED BY THE WORLD BANK IN NIGER ..... 95 Figure 1. Niger River water flows in m3/sec, as measured in Niamey (1950-1998)....................................... 2 Map 1. Population density and rainfall reduction........................................................................... 4 Table 1. Proposed National Water Program (PHN)........................................................................... 10 Figure 2: Organogram of Niger Ministry of Water Resources ....................................................................14 Figure 3: Institutions Active in Niger Water Resource Management Sector................................................ 15 Map 2. Niger's Water Resource Management Units (UGREs) ...................................................................25 Map 3. Surface water resources in Niger ........................................................................... 45 Map 4. Distribution of Niger's main aquifers........................................................................... 47 Map 5. Soil erosion potential and land degradation ..................................................................... ...... 51 Table 2. Trends assessment of cereal requirements........................................................................... 52 Table 3. Average annual flows and potential irrigatable surface in Niger................................................... 53 Table 4. Livestock in Niger Basin Authority member countries (in thousands).......................................... 56 Map 6. Network services in urban areas managed by SNE ....................................................................... 59 Table 5. r wateru supplyral coverage by department........................................................................... 60 Table 6. Water and sanitation facilities in towns of 50,000+ inhabitants ...................... ...............................61 Table 7. Assessment of annual water requirements for industries................................................................ 62 Table 8. National coverage rate and additional facilities needed.................................................................. 63 Table 9. Hydrological characteristic and hydroelectric potential of southern tributaries of the Niger River. ..............................................................................................................................................................66 Table 10. Main protected sites in Niger........................................................................... 70 Table 11. Status of the livestock water supply program ..........................................................................