Volta River Basin Strategic Action Programme Implementation Project

In 2013, a scientific and participatory Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) in the Volta basin revealed many environmental problems that may aggravate water shortages, conflicts on water use and waterborne diseases, among others. Most critical of them are: changes in water quantity and seasonal flows; degradation of ecosystems; and deterioration of water quality. Additionally, climate change and its consequences, and lack of coordination in the management of the shared water resources are crosscutting issues of concern.

In response to these problems, a Strategic Action Programme (SAP) comprising 33 actions, to be implemented between 2015 and 2024 in the basin, was formulated. Some of these actions have been included in the Strategic Plan 2015-2019 of the Volta Basin Authority (VBA). The VBA was created in 2007 by the signing of a Convention by the basin countries to promote permanent consultation for rational, sustainable and equitable management of the water resources of the Volta basin towards poverty alleviation and better socio-economic integration.

The Volta River Basin Strategic Action Programme Implementation Project (VSIP) stems from the SAP and the VBA Strategic Plan 2015-2019. It is co-funded by the World Bank through the Cooperation in International Waters in Africa–CIWA (USD 3.5 million), the Global Environment Fund–GEF (USD 7.2 million) and the VBA (USD 0.24 million), for a total cost of USD 10.94 million.

Objectives

The overall goal of the VSIP is to improve the capacity of the VBA for transboundary water resources management.

Specifically, the VSIP aims to contribute to the institutional development of the VBA, on the one hand, and on the other hand, to implement specific SAP actions.

Components

The VSIP has four (4) components:

Component 1: Development of Water Charter for the Volta basin

The Water Charter for the Volta basin is a conventional instrument that will define and develop guidelines for the management of the water resources, roles and responsibilities of the riparian countries in the use and protection of the water resources. In that regard, it will complement.

Implementation Approach

The National Focal Points (NFPs), the decentralized services of water and the environment and local populations were actively involved in the identification of actions and intervention sites proposed under the VSIP. This participatory approach will be continued and strengthened during the implementation of the project. For that purpose, information, awareness-raising, communication, education and training actions will be carried out on the ground to strengthen the ownership of local actors and stakeholder engagement in the implementation of the planned activities. The project will greatly encourage the participation of women and youth. To that end, memoranda of understanding will be signed between the VBA, the national focal structures and local stakeholders (user associations, existing committees, local authorities, decentralized services, etc.), especially for the implementation of the SAP actions.

Main Expected Results

By December 2019, the following main results are expected:

• A Water Charter for the Volta basin is developed, validated by the national experts, and approved by the Council of ministers of member countries of the VBA;
• A Communications Strategy and Plan are developed and implemented;
• National Focal Structures are established and functional;
• Vital functions of ecosystems in selected areas along the mountainsides in the Pendjari-Oti transect and upstream of Lake Volta are conserved and restored;
• Siltation in the headwaters of the Black Volta River (Mouhoun) in Burkina Faso is reduced;
• Infrastructure for small-scale irrigation in the Sourou basin in Mali is developed;

• The livelihoods of local populations in the targeted areas are improved;
• The capacity of the VBA for transboundary water resources management is strengthened.

Beneficiaries

The following stakeholder categories will directly benefit from the results of the VSIP:

• Farmers including livestock breeders and fishers (men and women) in the targeted areas;
• Local authorities and decentralized services;
• VBA National Focal Points and their Assistants/National Focal Structures;The VBA.

Financial and Technical Partners: The World Bank; GEF, CIWA.

For any further information, please contact:

Dr. Jacob Tumbulto, Director of Observatory for the Volta basin/VSIP Coordinator

10 BP 13621 Ouagadougou 10 Tel: 00226 25 37 60 67 Mobile: 00226 70 70 06 65 E-mail: jwtumbulto@gmail.com

Website: http://www.abv.int