Improving water resources management in the Horn of Africa

Implementing the Inland Water Resources Management Programme

Water scarcity is a big challenge for the development of countries in the Horn of Africa. The Inland Water Resources Management Programme, managed by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), was created to strengthen regional and national capacities for sustainable water resources management (WRM).

To help institutionalize regional water cooperation, our team supported the setup of this regional water dialogue platform. We first reviewed national policy and regulatory frameworks and helped update regional water governance frameworks, then assisted member states in adapting their national frameworks. We designed and implemented an institutional support programme, including the implementation of a shared research programme, the organisation of a fellowship programme for MSc students, and the delivery of training courses at regional and national levels.

We also helped develop regional WRM information systems and strengthen water-related observation networks as well as facilitating networking between institutions, mapping water harvesting in various catchments, modelling aquifer recharge, and establishing a regional web portal for WRM and communication activities.