Sustainable Management of Shared Aquifers in Africa

1. «  MANAGEMENT OF SHARED AQUIFERS IN AFRICA  » OSS experience Tunis 4-6 September 2017

2. OSS: AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION • MEMBERS • 23 African countries : • North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia • West Africa :Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria (since 2017), Senegal, Chad • East Africa: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda • (soon 24 with Cameroon) ??? • 6 countries of the North : Germany, Belgium (since 2016), Canada, •                                 France, Italy, Switzerland • 6 African S / R organizations : UMA, IGAD, CILSS, CEN- SAD, CBLTAPGMV • 3 partner organizations of the United Nations : UNESCO, FAO, UNCCD • 3 NGO : International Action and Achievement Center : CARI, • The International Network Enda Third World (ENDA) , • Sahel Desertification Network (RESAD) • Missions • A North-South-South Partnership Platform • An interface between political and scientific actions • An instrument available to member countries • Intervention zone • NorthAfrica [UMA + Egypt] • East Africa [IGAD] • West Africa[CILSS] Two major axes: • Water • Land 1 of 7

3. OSS Strategy 2020 A strategic framework • The different conventions • Regional and National Policies and Initiatives: (Agriculture, Water, Development) • Sustainable Development Goals: OBJECTIVES …………. • Improving the management of water and the land • Increase resilience of populations • Fighting poverty • To strengthen spread and share knowledge

4. Transboundary Waters in Africa 200 major transboundary river basins and lakes in the world, nearly 80 in Africa, including 55 major transboundary rivers 608 Transboundary aquifer systems around the world including 83 in Africa Several basin organisms for surface waters and some for groundwater

5. Shared waters in the OSS area • 10 watersheds and 12 major transboundary aquifer systems • 760 billion m3 / year of renewable water resources • More than 320 billion m3 / year shared • More than 155 billion m3 / year exploited IN THIS CONFIGURATION, THE RESOLUTION OF THE WATER PROBLEMS OF THE REGION NEEDS NECESSARILY BY A CONCERTED MANAGEMENT OF TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS

6. The OSS Water Program • Structured around 4 themes • Improved knowledge of large transboundary aquifers • On qualitative and quantitative aspects, on surface water-groundwater exchanges, and on the impacts of climate change … • Support for the implementation of Integrated and Concerted Water Resources Management: • Databases, GIS, hydrodynamic models, sensitization .. • Support for the creation of consultative mechanisms  : Decision support systems and aspects of use. • Capacity Building • 3 HEADLIGHT PROJECTS AQUIFER SYSTEM OF THE NORTHERN SAHARA : Algeria, Libya, Tunisia: SASS and WADISMAR / FFEM and GEF projects AQUIFER SYSTEM OF IULLEMEDEN TAOUDÉNI / TANEZROUFT Algeria Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria: GICRESAIT / FAE project IGAD Zone: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda IGAD /FAE Project INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN THE MAGHREB : CREM/ BMZ Project

7. The first OSS Phare project: The Aquifer System of the Northern Sahara Countries concerned : Algeria, Libya, Tunisia Area: 1.000.000 km2 Theoretical reserves (not very renewable) 60.000 billion of m3 Water requirement (m3/yr): 600 Million (1970), 2.5 Billion (2000), 8 Billion (2030) Irrigated area (ha): 50.000 (1970), 270.000 (2014), 400.000 (2030) Exploitation (m3/an): 0.6 billion (1950), 3 billion (2016) Cooperation mechanism: Coordination mechanism (2008) integrating the aquifer of the Djeffara plain • Problems due to overexploitation of the water table • Salinization of water • Disappearance of artesianism • Increase in pumping heights • Drying up of Tunisian outlet • Foggaras drying up in Algeria • Saline intrusion into the Gulf of Syrte (Libya) RESERVATIONS CONSIDERABLE BUT LOW RENEWABLE

8. The SASS approach PHASE 1: 1999-2002 PHASE 2 :2003-2008 STUDIES • Socio-economic impacts • Environmental impacts • The operationally of the Coordination Mechanism • Framework for consultation, created on the basis of a declaration by the Ministers operational since 2008. • A BASIC APPROACH • Improved knowledge of the aquifer system • Construction of a Common Information System • Creating mutual trust • Enhancement capacities • Involvement of policy makers • Creation of a permanent tripartite mechanism at technical level PHASE 3 : 2010-2015 • Objective: To improve the agricultural productivity of irrigation by rational exploitation of water potential and an improvement of production techniques PHASE 4 : 2018-2022??? Large-Scale Pilots Evolution of the Coordination Mechanism

9. Adaptation of the SASS approach Iullemeden Taoudéni / Tanezrouft Aquifer (West Africa) • Africa's second largest aquifer: 2.5 million km2 after the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer (2.6 million km2) • 30 million inhabitants (10% of the total CEDEAO population) • A renewable water resource potential of 19 billion m3 per year • AN APPROACH • Improved knowledge • Construction of a Common Information System • A study of the interactions between groundwater and surface water • Enhancement capacities • Involvement of policy makers Cooperation Mechanism : The Ministerial Meeting (March 2014 in Abuja, Nigeria) resulted in the "Ministerial Declaration" in which Ministers reaffirmed their will and commitment to cooperate in a regional SAIT-wide management, protection, conservation and equitable use of SAIT's water resources to best meet the requirements of development. They also adoptedthe Memorandum of Understanding together with a roadmapfor the setting-up of the consultative framework with a view to its ratification by the Member States and its immediate application. To date, the protocol has been signed by 4 out of 7 countries

10. Adaptation of the SASS approach IGAD sub-region (East Africa) Since 2010, the approach has been adapted to the IGAD sub-region, using the same initial principle: • Improved knowledge • Construction of a Common Information System • Enhanced cooperation between countries • 5.2 Million de km2 • 80% of the subregion is arid and semi-arid • Population estimated at 206 million in 2010, 462 million in 2050 • (6) major river basins and six (6) transboundary aquifer systems A first phase was completed in 2013. The second one has been prepared. It is awaiting the necessary funding

11. Regional and thematicintegration • Cooperation with CBLT Strengthen the resilience of the socio-ecological systems of the Lake Chad basin through the development of water resources and institutional strengthening • Cooperation with OMVS and OMVG Improving the management of groundwater resources in the Senegal-Mauritanian Aquifer System (SASM) in relation to the flow of rivers Senegal and the Gambia • Cooperation with ABN Improving the Governance of the Niger River Basin and the Iullemeden and Taoudéni / Tanezrouft Aquifer Systems (ITTAS) • Cooperation with ABN, CILSS, AGRHYMET, ACMAD: Preca-Sahel (project being re-assembled): Resilience to climate disasters and capacity building of national and regional institutions

12. The objectives of the OSS in the field of transboundary water • Improve knowledge of water resources, including water costs • Better value for water to contribute to poverty reduction • Establish master plans for the integrated management of water resources by transboundary watershed within 20 to 30 years • Identify adaptation measures to climate variability, • Encourage, as far as possible, the use of renewable energies and in particular solar energy to reduce the cost of water produced from other energies. • Strengthen cooperation and exchange of information between countries • Promoting Integration Water - Energy - Food Security - Health • Continue / encourage the implementation of integrated water resources management in developing countries

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