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Transboundary Aquifers in Africa: Management and Protection of Under Cover Resources
Sunday 17 August
Afternoon Seminar
Convenors: African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany (BGR), International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
In Cooperation With: UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC)
The seminar will follow up on the results of the two previous seminars at the World Water Week 2006 and 2007 which set the scene for the discussion on and implementation of improved transboundary groundwater cooperation in Africa. While there is strong political will at the continental and regional level to include groundwater issues in the agenda of international water cooperation, there are still only few practical approaches. The protection of transboundary aquifers from overexploitation and contamination will be in focus at this year’s event. Ways to better link between scientific knowledge, monitoring of groundwater resources, financial support and political decision-making will be discussed. Lack of data is a considerable threat to sustainable groundwater management in Africa as it reduces the chances for a solid understanding of the natural hydro-geological system and ultimately undermines informed political decisions. In order to foster the inclusion of scientific knowledge into political processes, the seminar aims to work out how science can better contribute to and stimulate political cooperation and strengthen the linkages between the various political levels and the scientific community.
Seminar Programme 13:30-17:00, Room K24
13:30 |
Welcome and Introduction
• Prof. Jan Lundqvist, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Sweden
• Dr. Charles Ngangoué, Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee, African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), Republic of Congo
• Mr. Franz Marré, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany
• Dr. Willi Struckmeier / Dr. Friedrich Hetzel, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Germany |
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Session 1 - Updates on Current Initiatives |
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Chair: Dr. Alice Aureli, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) |
14:00 |
Outcome of Tripoli-3: “3rd International Conference on Managing Shared Aquifer Resources in Africa” Regional Center on Shared Aquifer Resources Management in Africa (RCSARM) Dr. Omar Salem, General Water Authority (GWA), Libyan Arab Jamahiriya |
14:15 |
Outcome of Kampala: “Groundwater and Climate in Africa” Dr. Callist Tindimugaya, Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), Uganda |
14h30 |
Status and Roadmap of the African Groundwater Commission (AGWC) Under AMCOW Dr. Emanuel Naah, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) |
14:45 |
Coffee Break |
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Session 2 - Regional and Local Approaches to TBA Assessments and Management |
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Chair: Dr. Willi Struckmeier, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Germany |
15:15 |
Regional Cooperation in the IGAD Sub-Region: Using Science to Secure Political Commitment and Financial Support for Joint Management of Transboundary Water Resources Dr. Ousmane S. Diallo, Observatory of Sahara and Sahel (OSS), Tunisia |
15:45 |
The Kilimanjaro Aquifer, Situation Assessment and Transboundary Cooperation: What Can We Learn from Local Scale Experiences for the Approaches to Regional Aquifer Systems? Dr. Malte Grossmann, Technical University Berlin, Germany |
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Session 3 - Discussion and Panel Debate |
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Chair/Moderator: Dr. Reza Ardakanian, UN - Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) |
16:15 |
What Can African Mechanisms and Institutions like AGWC and RCSARM Contribute to Institutional Capacity Development for Transboundary Aquifer Management in African Basin Organisations? What Are the Bottlenecks and How Can We Overcome Them? |
17:00 |
Close of Seminar |
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