West Africa Unites Over Water Crisis, Adopts Regional Action Plan

–        ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS seek stronger control of shared rivers, climate resilience – Cabo Verde to host next forum

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

West African countries have moved to strengthen regional control and cooperation over their increasingly strategic water resources, adopting a common agenda aimed at tackling water insecurity, climate pressures, transboundary disputes and inadequate financing of the sector.

The decision was reached at the inaugural West Africa Regional Water Forum (FREAO) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where governments and regional institutions agreed to translate water governance from a largely technical concern into a strategic instrument for food security, economic transformation, environmental protection and regional stability.

The two-day forum, held from September 24 to 25 under the theme, “Valuing Water to Transform West Africa,” was convened by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in partnership with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS).

It culminated in the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration, a shared regional water roadmap and the designation of Cabo Verde as host of the next edition.

The outcome is particularly significant for West Africa because water resources across the region do not follow national boundaries, with major rivers and basins shared by several countries.

The challenge is therefore no longer simply about whether individual countries have enough water, but how governments can jointly manage resources that flow across borders while responding to growing demands from agriculture, energy, industry, households and ecosystems.

Opening the forum on behalf of the Ivorian Government, Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé called for stronger cooperation in the management of shared water resources, describing water governance as a strategic political choice and a pillar of regional stability.

Representing ECOWAS Commission President, General Birame Diop, Commissioner Amin Amidu Sulemani described the gathering as a regional call to action to strengthen water security and climate resilience.

The President of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and Senegal’s Minister of Water and Sanitation, Dr Cheikh Tidiane Dièye, connected the forum to Africa’s wider water agenda and preparations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.

Participants examined Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), sustainable financing, climate resilience, water diplomacy and transboundary cooperation, while reaffirming the strategic importance of water to the region’s future.

The regional water challenge is rooted in the geography of West Africa.

Major river systems, including the Niger, Senegal, Gambia and Volta basins, traverse several countries, meaning that activities in one country can have consequences for communities and economies downstream.

ECOWAS has said that 28 shared river basins cover about 71 per cent of the region, underscoring the scale of the challenge and the necessity for coordinated management.

For Nigeria, the issue has particular importance because the country sits downstream of the Niger-Benue river system, with the Niger River originating outside Nigeria before flowing through the country and eventually emptying into the Atlantic.

Consequently, developments involving water use, dams, irrigation, environmental degradation and climate variability in countries upstream can have implications for Nigerian communities and economic activities downstream.

The forum’s emphasis on water diplomacy and transboundary cooperation therefore places greater importance on regional institutions and basin authorities as mechanisms for preventing competing national interests from becoming sources of tension.

The water question is also being complicated by climate change.

Changing rainfall patterns, droughts, floods, desertification and environmental degradation are increasing pressure on already vulnerable communities across the region.

In the Sahel, prolonged dry periods can undermine agricultural production and livestock livelihoods, while intense rainfall and flooding in other parts of West Africa can destroy infrastructure, contaminate water sources and displace communities.

The result is a paradox of too little water in some locations and too much water in others, reinforcing the need for better water storage, infrastructure, forecasting, data management and coordinated planning.

Participants at the Abidjan forum consequently placed climate resilience at the centre of the regional water agenda.

But beyond declarations, one of the biggest questions confronting the new regional agenda is how to finance the infrastructure and institutions required to deliver water security.

Governments across the region face competing demands for limited public resources, while water infrastructure often requires substantial long-term investment.

The Abidjan discussions therefore placed emphasis on sustainable financing, including stronger mobilisation of domestic resources and partnerships with development institutions and the private sector.

The participants also considered the need to strengthen regional water institutions and improve the collection and sharing of reliable water data.

Without dependable information on rainfall, river flows, groundwater, drought and water demand, governments can struggle to anticipate shortages, manage floods or coordinate the use of shared resources.

The adoption of the Abidjan Declaration represents an attempt to provide a common political framework for addressing these challenges.

The agenda covers not only access to water but also the relationship between water, agriculture, energy, environmental sustainability and economic development.

That broader approach is important because water policy cannot be isolated from food production.

Agriculture remains heavily dependent on reliable water supplies, while energy development can also depend on water resources.

At the same time, poorly managed agricultural, industrial and domestic activities can pollute rivers and groundwater.

The regional forum therefore sought to promote an integrated approach in which governments consider the wider consequences of decisions affecting shared water resources.

The Abidjan declaration now faces the more difficult test of implementation.

West Africa has previously adopted regional policies and frameworks in several sectors, but translating political commitments into functioning infrastructure, financing arrangements and effective institutions remains a persistent challenge.

The success of the new water agenda will consequently depend on whether governments can sustain cooperation beyond the forum, provide adequate funding, strengthen river-basin organisations and develop mechanisms for resolving disputes before they escalate.

For ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS, the decision to institutionalise the regional water forum is intended to provide a continuing platform for monitoring progress.

With Cabo Verde selected to host the next edition, attention will increasingly shift from the commitments made in Abidjan to the projects, policies and financing mechanisms required to implement them.

Ultimately, the water question confronting West Africa is larger than access to drinking water. 

It is increasingly a question of food security, energy, livelihoods, climate adaptation, environmental protection and regional stability.

And with rivers, aquifers and watersheds crossing national frontiers, the region’s leaders are confronting a reality that makes cooperation not merely desirable, but central to managing one of West Africa’s most strategic resources.