International Waters learning Exchange & Resource Network

Subactivity: B1.2: African Learning

Exchange across freshwater and marine GEF IW projects and partners in Africa (in cooperation with ANBO, ACWA, NEPAD and/or African Regional Seas Secretariats)

EA/PAL: Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung (Capacity Building International, Germany) (InWEnt)

OTHER PARTNERS: World Bank Institute (WBI), UNEP-DEWA, GWP-East Africa, GWP-West & Central Africa, GWP-Southern Africa

DESCRIPTION

This activity aims to enhance the implementation of regional subsets of the GEF IW portfolio by increasing the overall capacity of managers, transferring capacity from within these portions and from outside partners, and strengthening communication and learning exchanges across networks of GEF IW managers within these regions.

As indicated by the GEF IW conference polls and interactions with African freshwater (and marine) IW projects during the IW:LEARN pilot phase, facilitated dialog among freshwater (and marine) projects in the continent of Africa may lead to improved efficiency and effectiveness. This activity facilitates sharing of practical experiences among GEF IW projects in river,  lake and aquifer basins, and kicks off with the 1st ever Pan-Africa GEF IW dialogue – with a focus on synergies between surface water and groundwater management, and freshwater IWRM and marine IC[Z]M. This will be followed by up to 2 workshops in other sub-regions of Africa (Southern Africa and West or Central [francophone] Africa) focused on Public Participation in Transboundary Water Governance (in partnership with ELI; see Activity B4) and other priority IWRM issues identified by participants in the Pan-Africa workshop. These activities address the 2004 STAP emphasis on inter-linkages and support the aims of AMCOW (African Ministerial Conference on Water) to strengthen networking among African transboundary basin organizations, to foster integration of groundwater management in basin management, to build institutional capacity in transboundary organizations, and to improve water governance. In collaboration with WBI, UNEP's Division of Early Warning & Assessment (DEWA) is well situated to host the first Pan-Africa activity through its mandate under IW:LEARN to create a knowledge and information-sharing ‘module’ to support an Africa IW network (Component A). The Pan-Africa workshop for inter-project collaboration was launched in October 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya, just following the AMCOW meeting on transboundary river and lake basin organizations in Kampala, Uganda, enabling a number of projects to participate in both and carry forward the AMCOW discussion themes. On-going dialog may be through facilitated electronic fora, a potential regional track at the GEF IWC in Cape Town in summer 2007,  a Public Participation workshop with ELI also in 2007, and possibly a third workshop in 2008.

PROGRESS TO DATE

Year Goals/Outputs Status/Notes
3 1 regional exchange Pan-Africa IWRM Workshop Completed
1-2 regional exchanges launched (Africa); Present regional exchange findings at IWC4 2nd Pan Africa IWRM and Public Participation Workshop Completed
4 Learning products on IW-IMS Ongoing

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS