Policy elements for transboundary risks reduction

Iullemeden Aquifer System: Policy elements for transboundary risks reduction

The Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis recommended by the Global Environment Fund has been applied to transboundary waters of the Iullemeden Aquifer System (IAS) shared by Mali, Niger and Nigeria. It allowed identifying three major transboundary risks namely (1) the reduction of resource availability, (2) degradation of water quality, and (3) the impact of variability / climate change.

Recognizing the need for a regional approach for shared groundwater management to face those transboundary risks for which efforts of one country cannot find a sustainable solution, the three countries committed themselves in a process of joint water resources management. Through this process, they plan to mitigate the negative impacts of these risks on their shared groundwater resources.

The policy and strategy elements to mitigate these risks have been designed to help countries in formulating their policies and strategies accompanied by an action plan in the medium and long term. These elements include the political, socio-economic and environmental dimension. They were developed by conducting the analysis of solutions for each risk examined according to (a) hydrogeological and environmental (b) socio-economic, and (c) legal and institutional dimensions.

To develop this policy at regional level, national legislation on water should be updated taking into account the achievements of the project in terms of the methods and management of transboundary groundwater regimes.