1. Infusing policy change on transboundary groundwater management in Africa through partnerships, knowledge and tools Karen G. Villholth Presented by Simon Langan

2. Background of initiative  River basin management has been promoted as fundamental basis for IWRM  International river (and lake) basin organizations are frequently instrumental in addressing transboundary water management (TWM)  Groundwater increasingly recognized as a fundamental and interlinked resource to be included in IWRM and TWM  Existing institutional IWRM and TWM frameworks in Africa do not adequately embrace GW

3. Why care about groundwater management and institutional arrangements?  Water security  Food security  Climate change adaptation  Ecosystem conservation  Transboundary cooperation

4. Needs assessment of IBOs: How well do they perform in terms of GW management?  Assess the capacity and needs of existing African basin organizations (IBOs) in terms of GW management, based on a participatory and consultative approach  Develop recommendations and tools for better GW mgt. in IBOs in Africa

5. √ Baseline profiles – desk study √ Interviews with IBO personnel and water and groundwater managers in riparian states (3 to 22 interviews per IBO) √ SWOT analysis √ Compilation of results, conclusions and recommendations Stakeholder workshop (Ouagadougou, Feb 2013) Training program √ √ Process

6. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 12 -14 Feb. 2013 Consultative meeting with Volta Basin Authority

7. Map of transboundary aquifers in Africa  First map to show intersection of TBAs in Africa with international river and lake basins  80 transboundary aquifers  42% of area of Africa  30% of African population  63 international river/lake basins  21 international water basin organizations Altchenko and Villholth, 2013

8. Other Outputs

9. Partners  BGR (German Geological Survey) and GIZ Funding and technical input  Cap-Net Funding and networking  AGW-Net the African Groundwater Network, Technical input  IGRAC International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre, Technical input, data base manager  GWP Global Water Partnership, Technical input and networking  ANBO African Network of Basin Organizations, networking and uptake  Aqua for All and Water-Net, Technical input  Splash Project of the EU Water Initiative ERA-Net, Funding  GEUS Danish Geological Survey, Funding, technical input

10. Outcomes/uptake/upscaling  Increased awareness of the importance of international cooperation on groundwater and shared aquifers among IBOs  ANBO has announced the training program on its website  ORASECOM (Orange-Senqu River Commission in Southern Africa) considered Recommendations from Needs Assessment in their 27th ORASECOM Technical Task Team meeting  SADC and other partners showed appreciation of the TBA map  IGRAC (International Groundwater Resources Centre under UNESCO) has adopted the IWMI /WLE TBA map in 2014 version  UNESCO-IHP invite on TBA in SSA and to contribute to a global assessment of TBAs under the TWAP (Transboundary Water Assessment Programme)  Further interest in the training program has been expressed by IBOs in Western Africa and in Southern Africa  IWMI and partners are negotiating a pilot project (US$1.5 mill) on the Ramotswa TBA between South Africa and Botswana

11. Lessons  Transboundary groundwater management is increasingly acknowledged at national and international levels as a critical parameter in TWM  Strong and committed long-term partnerships are crucial for the delivery of impact  Training is a good avenue for diverse partnership building, acknowledgement and uptake of research outputs  Concurrent research and training activities give credibility as an entry point to initiate detailed research in pilot TBAs  Providing coherent and user-friendly interdisciplinary information material is crucial for uptake  Transboundary focus can be used to enhance attention to smallholder (incl. women) reliance and dependence on groundwater

12. Thank you! Contact: k.villholth@cgiar.org