PAGE 2014: building partnershipReport on year one implementation of the Partnership for environmental governance in West Africa (PAGE)

CENTRAL AND WEST AFRICA PROGRAMME (PACO)

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Contents

An overview of the PAGE Programme ......................................... 22014: Effective Start-up of the programme ................................. 2Key figures ................................................................................. 2The partnership .......................................................................... 3

A participatory process ............................................................. 3Partner Institutions .................................................................... 3

Achievements ............................................................................. 4Setting up of IWRM in West Africa ............................................ 4Mainstreaming of the environmental dimension in river basin management ............................................................................ 5Sustainable management of ecosystem goods and services .... 6Integrating the climate change issue in the planning process .... 7Restoration of degraded ecosystems ....................................... 8

Lessons learned ......................................................................... 9Publications ................................................................................ 9For more information .................................................................. 9

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1 PAGE 2014: building partnership - Report on year one implementation of PAGE

2014:Effective Start-up of the programme

An overview of the PAGE Programme

Key figures

The Programme on «Partnership for environmental governance in West Africa (PAGE)» is a regional initiative implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature -Central and West Africa Programme (IUCN-PACO) in collaboration with its partners. It is built upon the achievements and partnerships of the Poverty Reduction and Environmental Management Initiative (PREMI) which was executed from 2009 to 2013 and on other IUCN-PACO programmes in West Africa. The PAGE Programme aims at enhancing the implementation of environmental policies, building the capacity of actors and achieving more open governance of natural resources. Its main objective is to contribute to the improvement of West African people’s living conditions through sound environmental policies and institutional framework. More specifically, PAGE will contribute to:- The implementation of Integrated Water Resources

Management (IWRM) in the Volta, Niger, Senegal and Mono river basins;

- The mainstreaming of the environmental dimension in the management of the Volta, Niger, Senegal and Mono basins;

- Sustainable management of the goods and services generated by the ecosystems in the Volta, Niger, Senegal and Mono basins;

- The consideration of climate change in the national and local planning process in the Volta, Niger, Senegal and Mono basins;

- The restoration of the degraded ecosystems in the Volta, Niger, Senegal and Mono basins.

PAGE is designed to support environmental policies in West Africa. It is a five-year programme covering 2014 to 2018. It is being financed for a total amount of EURO 6,330,368. The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) has contributed EURO 5,351,085 and the technical partners EURO 979,283.

1team

of10 members

including 5 experts on key thematic areas: IWRM, ecosystems management, environmental law, communication and Monitoring & Evaluation.

3 thematic areas addressed: IWRM, climate change and ecosystems management.

16 institutions have joined the partnership: Regional Inter-Governmental Organizations, Basin Organizations, International Research Center, technical services of Ministries and civil society organizations.

Nearly 230 actors trained and sensitized in 2014.

A budget of EURO 800.247 for 2014 with an implementation rate of 80%.

On 24 March, 2014 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Burkina Faso chaired the official launching of the Programme on «Environmental Governance Partnership in West Africa (PAGE)». Following this event which was attended by the programme’s partners, actions were focused on concerted planning and implementation of activities by the regional coordination and by the Unit posted in Kankan, Guinea. Year 2014 was thus marked by the establishment of a strong partnership between the national and regional organizations for the governance of natural resources. This dynamics has contributed to improved transparency and increased participation of stakeholders to the on-going decision process.

PAGE 2014: building partnership - Report on year one implementation of PAGE3

•Nationalandregionalcoordinationofbasinnatural resource users

•NDWF-Guinea - National Directorate of Water and Forest of Guinea

•NDH-Guinea-NationalDirectorateof HydraulicsofGuinea

•CIFOR–CenterforInternationalForestryResearch

•GWI-GlobalWaterInitiative

•WWF-WorldWildlifeFund

•RAMPAO-WestAfricaProtectedMarineAreasNetwork

Funding

•SIDA-SwedishInternationalDevelopmentAgency

Partner Institutions

A participatory process•Official launching and operational planning

workshop in order to establish strong collaboration relationships with regional organizations, technical ministries and technical and financial partners for the implementation of activities at the regional level and in Guinea.

•Meeting of partners to operationalize the partnership and validate all activities planned at the regional level and in Guinea.

•Working meeting with each partner for information sharing, participatory review of activities to be assigned and signing of memos that include the main implementation modalities and recommendations.

•Formalizing the collaboration with the partners by drafting and signing partnership agreements.

The partnershipThe implementation of the partnership-based approach by PAGE in 2014 has created a great mobilization of partner institutions. These have adhered to the need for synergy in conducting common interest activities through information sharing, co-financing and the «doing it together» principle. The partnership-based approach has also contributed to disseminating the water resource policy in West Africa thus facilitating the understanding and practice of IWRM at the regional level.

Technical partners

•ECOWAS-EconomicCommunityofWestAfrican States

•UEMOA-WestAfricanEconomicand Monetary Union

•CILSS-Inter-StatesCommitteeforDroughtControl in the Sahel

•VBA-VoltaBasinAuthority

•NBA-NigerBasinAuthority

•GWP/WA-GlobalWaterPartnership-WestAfrica

•NDH/Mali-NationalDirectorateofHydraulics/Mali

•SP/PAGIRE-BF‐PermanentSecretariatoftheAction Plan for Integrated Water Resources Management of Burkina Faso

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Setting up of IWRM in West Africa

■ The draft guideline on the development of water infrastructure in West Africa has been validated. Consult guideline

The ECOWAS - WRCC, an executive body of the West Africa Permanent IWRM Coordination Framework has launched in 2009, the regional dialogue on large water infrastructure. This dialogue has led to the establishment of a Panel of Independent Experts that made 25 recommendations on best practices together with measures covering six axes. These recommendations and measures were translated into legal terms in the form of a draft guideline on the development of water infrastructure in West Africa. To validate this document, a regional workshop was organized from 31 March to 01 April 2014 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso within the framework of a partnership between ECOWAS-WRCC, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) with the financial support of the British (UKAid) and Swedish (SIDA) Cooperations respectively through the Global Water Initiative (GWI) and PAGE Programmes. The participants reviewed the draft guideline and validated it subject to the inclusion of the amendments made. Then, in view of ensuring efficient continuation of the adoption and implementation process of the guideline, they made a number of recommendations directed to ECOWAS. This validation will make it possible to submit the draft guideline to the ECOWAS Council of Water Ministers for adoption.

« For actual implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management, the active participation of all actors concerned at all levels, is required. The civil society is a key actor in operationalizing IWRM and cannot stay outside this process. » Nouradine Zakaria TOURE, Chairman of the Regional Coordination of Niger Basin Natural Resource Users (CRUBN)

■ 37 male and female users of natural resources in the Niger and Mono basins, originating from 10 countries, have acquired knowledge on the West Africa regional water resource policy and its implementation plan of action. For more information

The ambition of the PAGE Programme is to contribute to the current dynamics by further involving the user in water management and

enabling the Water Resource Coordination Center (WRCC) to assert its leadership in the

coordination of the regional policy on water resources in West Africa, more particularly in

the Volta, Senegal, Niger and Mono river basins.

■ Contribution to the setting up of the Master 2 Degree training on “Environmental Law and Policy” as part of the collaboration between IUCN-PACO and the Francophone Organization’s Institute for Sustainable Development (IFDD).

■ Technical and financial support to VBA for the development of their 2015-2019 Strategic Plan. For more information

■ Recruitment and provision of an IWRM Planning Director and Administrative and Finance Director for VBA.

Achievements

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■ 40 actors from Togo and Benin, representing the riparian communities of reservoir sites, the central and local governments, civil society organizations, the media and technical and financial partners, have acquired knowledge on the guidelines on large water infrastructure in West Africa. For more information

PAGE 2014: building partnership - Report on year one implementation of PAGE5

Mainstreaming of the environmental dimension in river basin management

■ A Network of West African Radios for Environment (RERAO) was put in place. For more information

The setting up of a platform for exchanging radio programmes as a tool for knowledge sharing and broadcasting through outreach radio stations was recommended in an IUCN-PACO study on the potential and portfolio of radios in some West African countries. IUCN-PACO, the World Wildlife Fund’s West African Marine Eco-Region Project (WAMER) and the West African Protected Marine Areas Network (RAMPAO) have established a partnership for technical and financial collaboration which gave birth to the West African Radios for Environment Network (RERAO). The Network officially started its activities during an inception workshop organized in Dakar from 28 to 30 October, 2014. Its goal is to contribute to good governance, conservation and sustainable and equitable natural resources management in West Africa through enhanced radio communication. The founding members of the network are radios representing nine (9) countries in West Africa: Radio Balafon and National Radio of Burkina Faso, Radio Morabeza of Cape Verde, Ivoire FM and Denguele of Côte d’Ivoire, Star FM and Brikama Community Radio of the Gambia, Radio Rural Lower Guinea, Kindia and National Radio of Guinea, Radio Lamparam Voz di Cantanhez and Voz do Rio Cacheu of Guinea Bissau, Radio Kledu and Radio Saghan of Mali, National Radio of Mauritania, Cayar FM, Radio Popenguine and La Côtière FM of Senegal.

« Through the RERAO, the various stakeholders will outreach the populations, using radio communications. The Network will help capitalize on individual and collective experiences of the countries in the area of natural resources management. »Dr Taib DIOUF, Coordinator, GO-WAMER Project of WWF

By building pathways for experience and best practice sharing, PAGE is bringing

actors together, specifically the academics, practitioners, the media, decision-makers and

opinion leaders.

■ The first edition of the journalist competition on “Water and Environment” was organized in collaborationwithGWP/WA.Threewinnersreceivedprizes: 2 prizes for the best radio reports in French and English and a best French press article Prize. Link to the brochure

Achievements

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PAGE 2014: building partnership - Report on year one implementation of PAGE6

Sustainable management of ecosystem goods and services

« The structure of the NBA member countries’ economies reveals high dependency of the productive base on the environment and natural resources. All sectors of activity live on these resources. Hence the need to step in and ensure sound management of wetlands in particular given that this is a major stake for sustainable and ecologically viable development of the Niger basin countries. »Jean Abdias COMPAORE, NBA environmental specialist

Improving the health of ecosystems and increasing the goods and services that they render would directly benefit the production systems of local societies. The communities

will thus develop their resources and capacity to cope with climate change. The PAGE

supports the acknowledgement of the contribution of ecosystems to agricultural production systems and to the well-being

of the populations.

■ Advocacy action led to the adoption by the NBA Council of Ministers of the Resolution on the roadmap for the drafting of a wetlands development Plan of the Niger Basin in relation with IUCN and in collaboration with the Ramsar Convention Secretariat.

■ A Policy Brief was developed, edited and widely disseminated to raise public awareness of the importance of the goods and services rendered by ecosystems. Consult the Policy Brief

Achievements

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Integrating the climate change issue in the planning process

■ TOP-SECAC Capacity Building of 20 actors of structures in charge of development planning in Niger. For more information

« The training of a sub-regional Pool of experts is indeed a major event in the mainstreaming of the climate change dimension in socio-economic development prospects of our countries. This initiative will help to consolidate and enhance the preparation processes of communal and regional development plans of our various programmes and to identify suitable actions that match the capacity of our people. » His Excellency Mister Raphaël EDOU, Minister of Environment in charge of Climate Change Management, Reforestation and Natural and Forest Resources Protection, Benin

■ TOP-SECAC - Consult the toolkit

The TOP-SECAC toolbox is made up of a training manual and its application guide. It aims at promoting harmonized planning and monitoring-evaluation mechanisms that include indicators on the capacity to adapt to climate change in view of strengthening the effectiveness of development plans. In more specific terms, the aim is to: › Provide practitioners with planning and monitoring-evaluation tools and approaches that take account of

climate change adaptation practices; › Build their practical capacity in the area of monitoring & evaluation.The toolbox was developed within the framework of a collaborative project among the Regional Center AGRHYMET/CILSS,theEconomicCommissionforAfrica (ECA) and the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (SSO) with the technical support of IUCN-PAC.

The consideration of adaptation to climate change in development planning appears as an imperative nowadays for policymakers at

all administrative levels. The tools developed to that effect such as the toolbox for planning,

monitoring & evaluation of climate change adaptation capacity (TOP-SECAC) have

proven to be efficient. To respond to this imperative, every country should have a

critical mass of trained experts. The PAGE supports the creation of such expertise.

■ A regional pool of 20 trainer experts on the use of TOP-SECAC put in place in Togo and Benin. For more information

Achievements

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PAGE 2014: building partnership - Report on year one implementation of PAGE8

San

kara

ni

Kumasi

Tessal i t

Parakou

Bobo Dioulasso

Tamba

Tamale

Kankan

Araouane

Gao

Kayes

Taoudenni

Tombouctou Agades

Bi lma

Tahoua

ZinderTambacounda

Sokode

OuagadougouBamakoNiamey

Accra

Conakry

Dakar

Lome Porto Novo

M A U R I T A N I E

LIBÉRIA

SIERRALEONE

N I G É R I AGUINÉEBISSAU

GAMBIE

CÔTE D’IVOIRE

CAP VERT

TOGO

N I G E R

M A L I

BÉNIN

GHANA

GUINÉE

BURKINA

SÉNÉGAL

Îles Canaries

Comores

Crète

Lesbos

Îles Madère

Majorque

Peloponnesus

Rhodes

Sao Tome

Sardaigne

Sicily

Suqutra

Île Zanzibar

Mer Morte

L. TChad

L. Kivu

L. Malawi

L. Tanganyika

L. TuzL. Van

LacVictoria

Lac Albert

Lac Kariba

LacMweru

LacNasser

Lac Turkana

Lac VoltaBenue

Nil B

leu

Chari

Congo.

Congo

Co

ng

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Euphrates R.

Euphrates

Kasai

Kasai

Limpopo.

Nil

Nil

Orange

Rio Guadiana

Sénégal

Tagus

Tigris

Tigris

Ubangi

Ub

ang

i

Vaal

Nil B

lanc

Zambezi

Zambezi

Nig

er

Niger

Niger

Tinkisso

Milo

Mo

no

Mer Aegean

Mer Caspienne

Golf d’Aden

Golf de Guinée

GolfPersique

Mer Ionian

M é d i t e r r a n é e S e a

Mer Rouge

Mer Tyrrhenian

Détroit duMozambique

Détroit de Gibraltar

A F R I Q U E

O C É A N

A T L A N T I Q U E

O C É A N

I N D I E N

San

kara

ni

Kumasi

Tessal i t

Parakou

Bobo Dioulasso

Tamba

Tamale

Kankan

Araouane

Gao

Kayes

Taoudenni

Tombouctou Agades

Bi lma

Tahoua

ZinderTambacounda

Sokode

OuagadougouBamakoNiamey

Accra

Conakry

Dakar

Lome Porto Novo

M A U R I T A N I E

LIBÉRIA

SIERRALEONE

N I G É R I AGUINÉEBISSAU

GAMBIE

CÔTE D’IVOIRETOGO

N I G E R

M A L I

BÉNIN

GHANA

GUINÉE

BURKINA

SÉNÉGAL

L. TChad

Lac VoltaBenue

Sénégal

Nig

er

Niger

Niger

Tinkisso

Milo

Mo

no

Golf de Guinée

3 4

1

2 San

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ni

Kumasi

Tessal i t

Parakou

Bobo Dioulasso

Tamba

Tamale

Kankan

Araouane

Gao

Kayes

Taoudenni

Tombouctou Agades

Bi lma

Tahoua

ZinderTambacounda

Sokode

OuagadougouBamakoNiamey

Accra

Conakry

Dakar

Lome Porto Novo

M A U R I T A N I E

LIBÉRIA

SIERRALEONE

N I G É R I AGUINÉEBISSAU

GAMBIE

CÔTE D’IVOIRETOGO

N I G E R

M A L I

BÉNIN

GHANA

GUINÉE

BURKINA

SÉNÉGAL

L. TChad

Lac VoltaBenue

Sénégal

Nig

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Niger

Niger

Tinkisso

Milo

Mo

no

Golf de Guinée

6

5

7

Restoration of degraded ecosystems

Achievements

■ Restoration sites were identified in Guinea, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Niger and Mali.

« To ensure the sustainability, economic profitability and resilience of ecosystems, it is essential to maintain their balance, taking into consideration the needs of the communities, of the ecosystems and water cycles as well. The land and infrastructure development schemes urgently needed by African countries for their development should take account of the needs of the river basin communities and of all ecosystems that they transform, in addition to the water issues for which they are being implemented. » Jean-Marc GARREAU, Programme Coordinator, IUCN-PACO

Ecosystems are overused, which undermines their balance and their very existence. In the face of this situation, PAGE has undertaken actions to reverse the current degradation

trend and establish sustainable management systems of natural ecosystems.

Site 2 : Tinkisso

Niger

Gallery forest

Rural Commune of Niandankoro,

Prefecture of Siguiri, Guinea

Site 3 : Upper Tinkisso

Niger

Tinkisso source heads

Rural Commune of Dogomet, Prefecture

of Dabola, Guinea

Site 4 : Sankarani

Niger

Galleryforest/Fiésource head

Rural Commune of Balandougouba,

Guinea and Commune of

Sankarani, Mali

Site 5 : Mékrou

Niger

Gallery forest

Rural Commune of Tamou, Niger

Site 6 : Mouhoun

Volta

Gallery forest

Commune of Dissin, Burkina Faso and Nandom District,

Ghana

Site 7 : Mono source

Mono

Mono source head

District of Alédjo, Benin and Agoulou

Canton, Togo

Site 1 : Milo

Niger

Galleryforest/Guédésource heads (Milo

tributary)

Rural Commune of Koumban, Kankan Prefecture, Guinea

BASINS

TYPE OF ECOSYSTEMS

LOCATION

PAGE 2014: building partnership - Report on year one implementation of PAGE9

Lessons learned

Clear will of institutions to work together on sustainable natural resources management.

The sustainable natural resource management issue in West Africa requires synergetic actions among the institutions. Within the framework of the PAGE programme, the implementation of the partnership has established continuous consultation between national institutions on one hand and regional institutions on the other, thus allowing the sharing of strategic information, consensus building in the conduct of activities and programmes through co-financing. The collaboration with IUCN-PACO has led to the operationalization of ECOWAS strategic programmes on “Vulnerability Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change in West Africa” and “Integrated Water Resources Management in West Africa". Need for openness and availability to deep-root the partnership

In sustainable natural resource management, every institution has its own focus area and approach. PAGE offers to the institutions a framework for sharing and harmonizing approaches by entrusting them with activities to implement. This collaboration framework has required some time and patience for joining all efforts. But once in place, it has secured the relationship and opened long term prospects.

› Programme Brochure Consult the brochure

› Policy Brief: Investing in natural ecosystems for sustainable development Consult the policy brief

› Journalist Competition « Water and Environment » brochure Consult the brochure

Publications

For more information

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

Regional Office Central and West Africa Programme (PACO)

01 PO Box 1618 Ouagadougou 01Burkina Faso

E-mail : paco@iucn.orgwww.iucn.org/paco

For any complementary information about the programme, please consult the official web site of PAGE:www.iucn.org/page

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