After the conference of water ministers on IWRM in March 1998, West Africa adopted a regional plan for integrated management of water resources (RAP/ IWRM / WA). This plan is an essential component of the regionalwater resources policy.
At the end of the West African Water Ministers Conference on IWRM (WAC/ IWRM) on 3 to 5 March 1998 in Ouagadougou, a consensus document called "Ouagadougou Declaration" was made public. It is considered as the commitment of ECOWAS for the implementation of IWRM in the region.
GWP-WA was officially established on March 22, 2002 during General Assembly in Bamako (Mali).
The Partnership is an autonomous association, non-lucrative, apolitical and non-religious, formed into a regional network of partners interested in the promotion of IWRM.