Regional Networking for Capacity Dev. in IWRM – WANet Experience

1. Regional Networking for Capacity Dev. in IWRM – WANet Experience D. Bashir and M.O. Eduvie National Water Resources Institute, Kaduna, Nigeria Presentation atRegional Roundtable on SustainableDevelopment of the Lake Chad BasinUniversity of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria on 20 – 22 February, 2007

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. West African Countries

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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

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

14. 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

15. How is WA-Net organized? 3 nodes with nodal centers in: • Burkina Faso • Ghana • Nigeria

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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)

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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)

24. 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.

25. 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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