During a panel focused on strengthening water security, peace, and development through cross-border collaboration, Mr. Alexis Kouassi, Director of the ECOWAS Water Resources Management Center, emphasized the strategic importance of water diplomacy in a region deeply interconnected by shared river basins.

Hosted by UNOWAS alongside the High-Level Preparatory Meeting for the United Nations Water Conference, the session provided a key platform to explore the relationship between joint water governance, conflict prevention, and regional integration. The discussion was moderated by Ms. Tanya Merceron, Climate and Security Adviser.

Mr. Kouassi noted that West Africa stands as a prime example of transboundary water cooperation, hosting almost a quarter of Africa’s shared river basins. Over the years, the region has built a robust institutional framework that promotes coordinated and sustainable management of these vital resources.

The panel gathered representatives from six major basin organizations — including OMVS, NBA, VBA, OMVG, LCBC, and the Mano River Union — who shared experiences, achievements, and challenges in shared water governance across their respective regions.

He stressed that every West African country shares at least one water basin with a neighboring state, making collective governance mechanisms essential to preventing water-related tensions, strengthening community resilience, and supporting regional development.

Aligned with global standards such as the 1992 UN Water Convention, West African states — with the support of ECOWAS — have progressively established transboundary water institutions. This coordinated approach now forms a cornerstone of regional stability and integration.

This dialogue feeds into preparations for the United Nations Water Conference. In this context, ECOWAS is organizing the West Africa Regional Water Forum, scheduled for 21–26 September 2026 in Abidjan, in collaboration with UEMOA and CILSS.
The Forum aims to shape a unified regional advocacy agenda ahead of the global conference in Abu Dhabi.

Key themes will include water diplomacy, conflict prevention, water security, and the role of water in economic and social transformation. The Forum’s theme — “Water to Transform West Africa” — reflects the region’s ambition to position water as a driver of peace, stability, and sustainable development.

On the sidelines of the Preparatory Meeting for the United Nations Water Conference held on 27 January 2026 in Dakar, the ECOWAS Water Resources Management Center (WRMC) participated in a high-level side event titled: “Enhancing Peace, Security, and Development in West Africa through Transboundary Water Cooperation.”
The session was organized by the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) as part of its mandate to promote preventive diplomacy and support peace efforts in the region. 

Mr. Alexis KOUASSI, Director of WRMC, joined representatives from six major river basin organizations: the Niger Basin Authority (NBA), the Volta Basin Authority (VBA), the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), the Senegal River Development Organization (OMVS), the Gambia River Development Organization (OMVG), and the Mano River Union Secretariat.

The panel discussions highlighted:

• practical experiences in transboundary water cooperation,

• joint planning initiatives,

• hydrological data-sharing mechanisms,

• and approaches to prevent water-related intercommunity tensions amid climate shocks, political crises, armed conflict, and humanitarian needs. 

Speakers emphasized that strengthened water governance is a key driver of regional stability, climate resilience, and sustainable development. They also identified institutional and financial gaps limiting progress, calling for stronger ECOWAS support to harmonize water policies and reinforce the role of basin organizations in fostering peace and cooperation. 

In his remarks, the WRMC Director reiterated the importance of water diplomacy as a tool for solidarity, crisis prevention, and shared sustainable development for West African populations.

The ECOWAS Specialized Agency for Water Resources Management (WRMC) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) held a strategic consultation to explore potential areas of collaboration between the two institutions.

On the sidelines of the High-Level Meeting in Dakar, in preparation for the United Nations Water Conference scheduled for December 2026, WRMC presented an overview of its ongoing programmes, aligned with its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, where AECID’s support could play a meaningful role. These areas include:

• the operationalization of the Regional Water Observatory to strengthen sector governance;

• technical support to ECOWAS Member States for the effective implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM);

• the development of the Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems Nexus, particularly through the project on drinking water supply and sanitation for vulnerable populations across West Africa, implemented through key infrastructure developments.

These discussions lay the groundwork for enhanced cooperation in promoting sustainable and integrated water resources management across the region.

On the sidelines of the High-Level Meeting in preparation for the United Nations Water Conference scheduled for December 2026, the ECOWAS Water Resources Management Centre (WRMC), accompanied by the Chair of the Regional Consultation Council on Water Resources (CRCRE), held a strategic consultation on 26 January with H.E. Retno L. P. Marsudi, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Water in West Africa and the Sahel.

This meeting provided an opportunity to explore key areas of potential collaboration, aimed at strengthening regional water governance and enhancing West Africa’s contribution to the preparatory process of the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Following the discussions, it was agreed to develop a draft regional action plan document on water resources management. This document will serve as a working basis to be submitted to the Special Envoy as part of the next steps in the process.

The session concluded with the official handover of the CRCRE’s Recommendations and Advocacy Note to H.E. Marsudi. These recommendations stem from the six interactive high-level dialogues conducted in Dakar as part of the preparatory activities for the United Nations Water Conference to be held in Abu Dhabi in December 2026.