The political launch workshop took place from March 18 to 20 and the technical workshop on 17 and 21 March 2014 in the conference room of the Palm Beach Hotel of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It was chaired by the Minister of Water, hydraulic facilities and Sanitation of Burkina Faso represented by her Secretary General. Were also present representatives of the European Union, various water authorities of the three beneficiary countries, the Niger Basin Authority and the main partners acting in the Niger basin.
"The project entitled '' Water for growth and poverty reduction in the transboundary Mekrou basin'' that brings us together today, from its conception to its implementation, will allow several types of water stakeholders, namely financiers, water technicians and scientists to collaborate in a wide border site between three countries to discuss, observe, study, analyze and draw conclusions on the management this colorless, odorless and quiet substance, which, if we do not pay attention, may be the source of the 3rd World War.", says the Chair of GWP West Africa, Professor Abel Afouda.
Mr. Abdou GUERO, Technical Director of the NBA, representing the Executive Secretary says that the Mékrou basin, a sub-basin of the Niger River, will be through the implementation of this project, an asset that will complement the many initiatives started by his institution. He expressed all the political support the NBA brings to this project.
Mr. Luca BUSETTO, Representative of the European Union headquarters, while expressing satisfaction for financially supporting this project, explained that the European Union (EU) has increased in the recent years its action in the water sector with aggregate funding of € 2.4 billion for the 28 countries that the EU supports in the world. 69 % of this amount goes to ACP countries and 90% of these funds go to ACP countries in Africa. Furthermore, he stated that EU is developing a new program (2014 -2020) in which the triptych Water - Food -Energy will be considered together and Mékrou project is in line with the directives of the new programming.
The Mékrou project is initiated by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and funded by the European Union Commission. The project launch workshop was attended by nearly one hundred participants including representatives of national water directorates, NGOs and other civil society in the three countries as well as technical and financial partners and stakeholders in the Niger River Basin.
This pilot project aims to develop tools and methods for planning in the context of the integrated management of water resources to enable policy makers and managers of water to meet the complex challenges the basin is facing.
In his speech, the representative of the Honorable Minister of Water, Hydraulic facilities and Sanitation has made it clear that "economic growth, the fight against poverty and social and demographic changes result in a demand for more increased infrastructure water management to allow sufficient production of food and energy on the one hand and, on the other hand provide the goods and services in a timely manner. Moreover, the ignorance of the water resource inevitably leads to the improper use of its economic potential, so a deficit of adaptation, that is to say, an inability to properly manage existing climate risks and hydrological variability. This applies not only to assets and infrastructure, but also political and institutional programs and systems to improve the integrated management of water resources."
During the three days group sessions have helped to review the multi-year planning activities to be implemented with the appropriate budget. Exchanges have clarified the role of the main actors and help guide expectations.
Presentations were made by key stakeholders (ECOWAS, NBA, AGRHYMET, and ACMAD) involved in the project on environmental and socio -economic issues in the area of the Mékrou sub-basin and projects that they are implementing.
At the end of the workshop GWP / WA Chair, Prof. Abel AFOUDA said that "it is therefore certain that the tasks that lie ahead over the next four years have been identified." He assured that the recommendations of the workshop will be carefully taken into account for cross-border cooperation for the development of the sub-region to be done in synergy with existing programs and projects in the Mékrou region. This requires the establishment of a constructive dialogue between all stakeholders to address adaptation to climate change and the balance between requirements and availability, the implementation of common tools for decision support taking account the gender aspect , the establishment of an appropriate sustainable development of the basin from a cross-border information system strategic framework , and finally the establishment of an evaluation system variability annual water resource."