Benin has taken an important step in its efforts to prevent, protect and manage the consequences of climate change that could affect the population in the short, medium and long term. Benin's National Assembly adopted the country's national legislation on 18 June 2018 to: (i) combat climate change and its negative effects and consequences and increase the resilience of living communities (ii) support effective response, adaptation and mitigation measures by setting specific targets for sustainable economic and social development, security and energy efficiency, in accordance with the specific provisions of national and international legal instruments on climate change.
From 20 to 27 June 2018, a mission of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) composed of consultants Caroline WITTNER and Ramesh TRIPATHI visited Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.
GWP/WA in collaboration with its partners IUCN, VBA, Eau Vive Internationale and IRC has started coaching young professionals through its regional programme for the employability of young people in jobs related to water security and climate resilience, which is implemented through the Integrated Drought Management Project in West Africa (IDMP-WA), #TonFuturTonClimat initiative, the Nexus & Food and Nutritional Security Programme and the Water Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP).
Dr. Monika Weber-Fahr, GWP’s new Executive Secretary has visited West Africa in the last week of June. She had a stay in Dakar, Senegal to take part in the World Water Forum’s Board of Governors’ meeting, and in the Climate KIC strategy meeting.
The young artist competition committed to water and environment called Water Star in Burkina Faso ended on Friday, June 29, with an award ceremony presided by the representative of the Ministry of Water and Sanitation of Burkina.
The Selingué and Markala dams commission organized a workshop to get the involvement of community radios and other traditional ways of communication into sensitizing communities in the good management of water resources in both dams.
From 26th – 28th June 2018, meetings were held at WRC to review the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Tool for the water resources sub-sector to include climate change.
GCWP Chair, Executive Secretary and National IWRM Focal point during the month of May 2018 have interacted with the Ministry of Water Resources on pending UN 1997 Transboundary Water Convention Ratification Bill for action.
The Capital city of Togo, Lomé hosted the kick-off meeting of the establishment process of the ECOWAS regional water observatory and validation of the provisional report of the operationalization study of the West African Regional Water Resources Policy (WARP) Monitoring and Evaluation Facility from 20 to 22 June 2018.
Benin has established a Network of Professional Women in the Water and Sanitation Sector (RBFPEA) on 11 May 2018 in Cotonou to promote the involvement of professional women in the implementation of actions and projects and highlight their contribution to the development of the sector. CWP-Benin strongly supported the initiative.