The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has announced that Cote d’Ivoire will host the first West Africa Regional Water Forum in Abidjan, the economic capital of the country between Sept. 24 and 25.
The high-level event, themed “Valuing Water to Transform West Africa,” aims to adopt a regional roadmap to guide policies on the sustainable management and development of water resources.
The director of the ECOWAS Water Resources Management Centre, Alexis Kouassi, said during a press conference that the initiative sought to bring stakeholders together and transcend national boundaries to ensure the sustainable management of water resources.
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Ivorian Minister of Water and Forests, Jacques Assahore Konan, said that West Africa shares 28 transboundary river basins covering nearly 71 per cent of its territory, making cooperation among countries a strategic necessity.
According to Konan, water should no longer be regarded as a constraint but as a driving force behind the transformation of our agricultural, energy, industrial, and social sectors.
He added that Cote d’Ivoire has made integrated water resources management a key pillar of its environmental policy.
The two-day forum will bring together policymakers, experts, technical and financial partners, and representatives from civil society organisations and the private sector.
