Seminar: "Under Cover! Revisited - Groundwater as an integral part of transboundary River / Lake Basin Management in Africa"

Jointly convened by

The seminar built on the success of last year’s seminar at the World Water Week which raised the issue of transboundary groundwater management to a larger public of water professionals and lead to the proclamation of the Stockholm Message on Transboundary Groundwater for Africa. This year’s event made the next step in the international discussion about this topic by bringing together representatives from African River/Lake Basin Organisations (R/LBOs) with decision makers, research institutions, and international donors. It provided a forum for exchanging experiences and discussing best practices of transboundary groundwater management. Also the issue of financing for transboundary groundwater cooperation was addressed as well as the European experience, where the integration of ground- and surface water has benn enhanced through the establishment of the European Water Framework Directive.

The joint initiative “Promoting Cooperation on Transboundary Groundwater for Africa” which is driven by AMCOW, BGR, IAH, SIWI, UNESCO and UNEP focuses on R/LBOs as the ‘natural’ institutional arrangements for transboundary groundwater management, as these organisations are already in place at most African river and lake basins resulting in some cases in considerable improvements of riparian cooperation on surface water issues. The seminar discussed the challenges of integrating groundwater into their scope of work regarding the hydrogeological, institutional and political constraints. The different perspectives from national, river/lake basin, and international levels were presented and provided the opportunity to summarise advantages and challenges of this integration.

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) as the overarching institution for African water policy supports the integration of groundwater into the scope of work of existing R/LBOs and is part of the convening organisations in the Joint Stockholm Initiative.

Programme and Synthesis note:

Agenda for the Seminar Under Cover! Revisited Groundwater as an Integral Part of Transboundary R/LB Management in Africa. World Water Week 2007 in Stockholm, August 16, 2007 (PDF, 85 KB)

Synthesis of the Seminar: "Under Cover! Revisited - Groundwater as an integral part of transboundary River / Lake Basin Management in Africa" (PDF, 73 KB)


Presentations and Abstracts

• Muhammed Sani Adamu, Lake Chad Basin Commission:
  
  Abstract: Groundwater as part of the work of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) (PDF, 395 KB)

  Presentation: Groundwater as a part of the work of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (PDF, 3 MB)

• Dr. Abou Amani, UNESCO West Africa
  
  Abstract: Status of UNESCO ISARM inventories for AfricanTransboundary Aquifers (PDF, 26 KB)

  Presentation: "Status of UNESCO ISARM inventories for African Transboundary Aquifers" (PDF, 375 KB)
  
  
  

• Mohammed Fawzi Bedredine, Organisation de Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Sénégal (OMVS):
  

  Presentation: “Transboundary Monitoring of Groundwater. The Case of OMVS” (PDF, 148 KB)

• Dr. Charles Biney, Volta Basin Authority:
  
  Abstract: Groundwater in the Volta Basin (PDF, 571 KB)

  Presentation: "Groundwater in the Volta Basin" (PDF, 179 KB)
  
  
  

• Dr. Greg Christelis et al., Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Namibia:
  
  Abstract: Transboundary Groundwater Management in the river basin Organisations of SADC with special reference to the Namibian case (PDF, 1 MB)

  Presentation: "Transboundary Groundwater Management in the river basin Organisation of SADC with special reference to the Namibian case" (PDF, 1 MB)
  
  
  

• Dr. Ralf Klingbeil, German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR):
  

  Presentation: “Joint Initiative Transboundary Groundwater for Africa. Review of Activities 2006” (PDF, 469 KB)

• Tamsir Ndiaye, African Network of Basin Organisations (ANBO):
  

  Presentation: “The African Network of Basin Organisations. Rationals and Functioning” (PDF, 395 KB)

• Scheidleder, A. et al.:
  
  Abstract: Benefits / Lessons Learnt from the EU WFD / Groundwater Daughter Directive for African transboundary groundwater issues (PDF, 130 KB)

  Presentation: "Benefits/Lessons Learnt from the EU WFD/Groundwater Daughter Directive for African transboundary groundwater issues" (PDF, 963 KB)
  
  
  

• Dr. Waltina Scheumann, German Development Institute (GDI):
  

  Presentation: “Transboundary Groundwater Management in Africa” (PDF, 86 KB)

• Dr. Anthony Turton et.al., Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) South Africa:
  

  Abstract: Links between Transboundary Groundwater, the MDG’s, Human Security, Climate Change and the Environment in Africa (PDF, 359 KB)

  Presentation: "Links between Transboundary Groundwater, the MDG's, Human Security, Climate Change and the Environment in Africa" (PDF, 2 MB)

• Teferah Woudeneh, African Development Bank (AfDB):

  Presentation: “Financing Options for Groundwater in Africa” (PDF, 94 KB)

• Prof. Yongxin Xu, University of Western Cape (UWC), South Africa:
  
  Presentation: “Groundwater Related Outcomes of the AMCOW 6th Ordinary Session in Brazzaville” (PDF, 224 KB)