Dakar, July 11, 2025
ECOWAS Relaunches the Sub-Regional Consultative Council on Water Resources (CRCRE) in Dakar
On July 10–11, 2025, Dakar hosted the 1st Extraordinary Session of the Sub-Regional Consultative Council on Water Resources (CRCRE) of the Permanent Framework for Coordination and Monitoring (CPCS) of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in West Africa. This meeting marked the official relaunch of the CRCRE, after several years of interruption, with the aim of strengthening regional cooperation around water-related issues.
The session, chaired by Mr. Baboucar Mboundar NGOM, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Water and Sanitation of Senegal, brought together IWRM focal points from ECOWAS and UEMOA Member States, representatives of river basin organizations, local authorities, civil society organizations, technical and financial partners, as well as sub-regional institutions.
Participants discussed ongoing regional initiatives, including the ECOWAS Special Drinking Water Supply Project, the West Africa Regional Water Forum (FREAO), preparations for the United Nations Water Conference 2026, as well as innovative programs for youth mobilization and capacity building in the water sector.
A key highlight of the session was the unanimous election of Dr. Boluwaji Onabolu, President of FEMinWASH (Nigeria), as Chair of the CRCRE for a two-year term. In her address, she expressed her gratitude and called for collective commitment to revitalize the Council and promote participatory water governance.
The deliberations also examined ways to strengthen the involvement of civil society organizations in the regional IWRM process, with a particular focus on youth, gender, cross-border cooperation, and the sustainability of actions.
The closing ceremony, chaired by Dr. Bakary FATY, representing the Minister of Water and Sanitation of Senegal, praised the quality of the exchanges and reaffirmed the commitment of regional stakeholders to work together to address water-related challenges in West Africa.