Project Objectives and Methodology

The sector project Policy Advice Groundwater supports the German development cooperation to develop the groundwater aspects of its water policy and to integrate them in international water policies and strategies, according to their importance.

Important thematic aims in the context of this project are to incorporate groundwater in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and to promote transboundary groundwater cooperation.

The project focusses on Africa and the Middle East, as the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports specifically these regions in the water sector. Especially in semi-arid and arid areas, there is an urgent need to reflect groundwater more strongly in IWRM-processes, as well as in bilateral or regional cooperation concerning transboundary groundwater resources.
The project is divided into three methodic components, which complement and blend into each other.

• Direct policy advise for BMZ and German implementing organisations
  The project supports BMZ in the in the development of sectoral, regional and country-specific guidelines. Additionally, it cooperates with the German Organization for International Cooperation (GIZ) and German Development Bank (KfW) to integrate groundwater into the projects of the German cooperation.
  
  
• Development of concepts and strategies for current and emerging groundwater issues
  The project works on current and emerging groundwater issues, and feeds possible solutions in the German and international debate.
  
  
• Promotion of international cooperation and networking
  The project is involved in international networks where it represents the German position on groundwater management in development cooperation. Thus, it affects the international discussion and ensures that BGR’s expertise contributes to international policy processes in the context of technical cooperation.