[P2P Project] Field Perspectives from the Peers #2 – Interview with Ms Valérie Bayche (Adour-Garonne Water Agency)

As part of the implementation of the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) project, the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) is continuing the series of interviews “P2P – Field Perspectives from the Peers”, highlighting the partners involved in the project, their local contexts and the challenges they face.

Funded by the European Union (DG INTPA), the Peer-to-Peer project is the first programme of the Twin Basin Initiative, led by INBO with the support of the African Network of Basin Organisations (ANBO). The programme aims to strengthen integrated and sustainable water resources management (IWRM) through peer cooperation, the sharing of experiences and the development of the capacities of basin organisations worldwide.

Now in its operational phase, the project is based on 21 pairings bringing together national or transboundary basin organisations, public administrations, academic institutions and scientific partners from Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia. The common objective of these partnerships is to learn from one another and strengthen capacities and practices in basin management.

In this context, the ‘P2P – Field Perspectives from the Peers’ series gives a voice to the peers involved in these pairings in order to highlight their experiences in the field and the dynamics of cooperation that have been put in place.

Presentation of the Adour-Garonne Water Agency and its pairings

This second episode features the Adour-Garonne Water Agency, a French public body that has been involved for many years in international cooperation on water management and river basin governance.

During this interview, Ms Valérie Bayche, Director of Solidarity and International Cooperation at the Adour-Garonne Water Agency, discusses the value of the Peer-to-Peer programme and the benefits of sharing experiences between river basin organisations facing common challenges.

In particular, she emphasises the importance of “stepping outside one’s own framework, looking up, and seeing what is happening elsewhere” in order to enrich practices, compare approaches and develop solutions tailored to current challenges related to water and climate change.

The interview also highlights the unique nature of the P2P programme, based on horizontal cooperation between partners, with a focus on peer-to-peer exchange and the joint development of methodologies.

The Adour-Garonne Water Agency is involved in a partnership bringing together the Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS), the Organisation for the Development of the Gambia River (OMVG) and Assane Seck University in Ziguinchor (Senegal).

This multi-stakeholder partnership covers several strategic themes, notably water resource governance, water data and information systems (WIS), and adaptation to climate change.