IGRAC at TWAP Regional Workshop for Western and Central Africa

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From 22 to 24 July, a Regional Workshop for Western and Central Africa will be held in Dakar, Senegal. This workshop is part of the groundwater component of the Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP) and will focus on assessment of transboundary aquifers of Western and Central Africa. 

Workshop objectives

  • Introduce TWAP groundwater component as a follow up of UNESCO's IHP ISARM initiative, the role and functions of the main actors in the project, the project methodology and the time frame
  • Share currently available knowledge, based on previous regional initiatives (ISARM-Africa)
  • Ensure that all parties are familiar with the methodological approach of the project, including data collection protocols, input variables and parameters, indicators and main project outputs
  • Resolve any remaining questions about the questionnaire
  • Finalize delineation of TBAs
  • Present preliminary results of the data collection
  • Work towards harmonizing the data
  • Identify inter linkages with other water systems,
  • Identify common issues and emerging issues, hotspots and opportunities within the TBAs selected to be assessed.
  • Discuss how to further build the coalition of experts in the region 

About TWAP

The Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP) is a two year project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). TWAP aims at conducting the first global baseline assessment of transboundary water systems. The assessment will be carried out in five components:

  • Transboundary Aquifers and SIDS Groundwater Systems
  • Transboundary River Basins
  • Transboundary Lake Basins
  • Large Marine Ecosystems
  • Open Ocean

UNESCO-IHP has been entrusted with the execution of the global Assessment of Transboundary Aquifers and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Groundwater Systems. The TWAP Groundwater Assessment will be carried out jointly with a network of partners at national, regional and international level.

Regional Workshops

The regional workshop for Western and Central Africa held in Dakar will be the second workshop within the TWAP programme. In December 2013, a workshop was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, where representatives from most Latin American countries exchanged information, experience and perspectives on groundwater monitoring.