A regional action plan for the sustainable management of water resources in the Iullemeden Taoudéni-Tanezrouft

The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) convened, from November 5 to 7, 2024, a regional workshop for the validation of the Regional Action Plan (RAP) for Integrated Water Resources Management of the Iullemeden-Taoudeni/Tanezrouft Aquifer System (ITTAS) which represents a strategic resource to support IWRM in the Sahelo-Saharan region for the benefit of communities and ecosystem resilience, involving Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Nigeria.

This workshop, which is part of the implementation of the "Improving IWRM, knowledge-based management and governance of the Niger Basin and the Iullemeden-Taoudéni/Tanezrouft Aquifer System (NB-ITTAS)" regional project, that aims at strengthening sustainable water management in support of the resilience of communities and ecosystems, made it possible to collect and consolidate the results of the national RAP validation workshops carried out in each country, with the aim of enriching the content thereof. It allowed representatives from the different countries to present their work and jointly define the regional actions to be prioritized, considering their relevance, impact and feasibility. This collaborative approach guarantees transparent management and rigorous monitoring of the impact of the actions implemented.

The ITTAS Regional Action Plan (RAP) will feed into the Strategic Action Plan (SAP), a policy document approved at the highest level to prioritise actions to address identified cross-border issues. The SAP builds on the national interventions of the National Action Plans (NAPs) on water resources management and other initiatives, such as the fight against climate change. The RAP is thus a key tool for sustainable development and the resilience of communities and ecosystems, supporting socio-economic development and preserving the environment.

The participants met with the OSS Executive Secretary and discovered the new premises of the Organization. This meeting strengthened the links between the different stakeholders and opened discussions on the prospects for regional cooperation for the management of the ITTAS aquifer.