11
Africa
INBONewsletter n° 22 - May 2014
Volta Basin Authority (VBA)
The project for capacity building of
the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) is
funded by the European Union
(ACP-EUWater Facility), theSeine-
Normandy Water Agency (AESN)
and the French Development
Agency (AFD).
Since 2012,
the International Net-
workof BasinOrganizations (INBO)
has been implementing the project,
which aims to build the capacity of:
l
The Stakeholders Forum for
Basin Development, an advi-
sory body of VBA;
l
The Experts’ Committee, VBA
executive body,
l
The ExecutiveDirectorate.
In January-February 2013, Mem-
bersof theExperts’ Committeeand
Executive Directorate made a visit
to France in the Seine-Normandy
and Adour-Garonne Water Agen-
cies andmet in Toulousemembers
of the Planning Commission,
DREAL (Regional Directorate for
theEnvironment, Development and
Housing) and of the Coteaux de
Gascogne Development Company
(CACG).
The project also allowed the parti-
cipation of the VBA Executive
Director in INBO World General
Assembly,
held in Fortaleza, Brazil,
from 12 to 16 August 2013. He was
able toparticipate in the topical round-
table ”Institutional frameworks for
action of Basin Organizations, of local
authorities, water users and the public,
role of Basin Committees” and ex-
changewith his counterparts in charge
of Transboundary BasinAuthorities.
The second meeting of the VBA
Stakeholders’ Forum was held
from 21 to 23October 2013.
It allowed strengthening the relations
between the variousstakeholdersof the
six VBA Member States. At the same
time, anexpert from theAdour-Garonne
Water Agency presented the dialogue
process in the river basin and made
recommendations for the functioning
of the Stakeholders’ Forum.
A sessionwas organized on the prepa-
ration of the Master Plan for Water
Development andManagement.
Particular attentionwill bepaid to infor-
mation and communication to the
general public about theVBA activities.
Charles A. Biney
ExecutiveDirector
Volta BasinAuthority
Fax:+22650376486
Implementation of priority actions of the 2010-2014 Strategic Plan
acpeu
Water Facility
Guinea - Upper Tinkisso Basin
The Tinkisso is a tributary on the left
bank of theNiger River inGuinea.
The issue to deal with was to imple-
ment a mechanism of payment for
environmental services to ensure sus-
tainabledevelopment in the river basin.
On a proactive basis, the selected
principlewas as follows:
l
People who provide environ-
mental services shouldbepaid
for doing it,
l
People who benefit from envi-
ronmental services should pay
for them.
The prices of goods and services
should ideally reflect all social costs,
including environmental degradation
costs associated with pollution and
resource exploitation.
In the example of the Tinkisso Basin,
we tested the combined approach of
ecosystem restoration and payment for
generated environmental services to
explore the feasibility of integrated and
sustainable management essential for
poverty alleviation and adaptation to
climate change.
The participatory and pedagogical
approach used promoted local com-
munities’ awareness to the adverse
effects of the degradation of resources
onwhich theydepend for their survival.
A new collaboration dynamics has
developed between the technical ser-
vices in charge of conservation, the
water sector, agriculture, animal hus-
bandry, and the users and other stake-
holders in the implementation of
REPASE project (Restoration of
Ecosystems and Payment for Envi-
ronmental Services).
It is a program designed to build the
capacity of demonstrating the econo-
mic contribution of activities based on
water resources and associated eco-
systems to poverty reduction and eco-
nomic growth.
AbdoulayeCamara
DeputyCoordinator of REPASE
Tel.: 664241723 / 628099166
/
TinkissoBasin at Dabola
Gabon
”World Rivers Day”
The ”World Rivers Day” 2013
was celebrated inCape Estérias on
28 September 2013, at the initia-
tive of the General Directorate of
Water Ecosystems of the Ministry
of Water and Forestry, which orga-
nized:
l
An awareness of the local
population on the significance
of rivers and waterborne
diseases;
l
A discussion panel on water
quality and the threats to rivers
inGabon;
l
An operation for cleaning the
Gabaga River.
JeanGabriel Goussilou
General Directorate ofWater Ecosystems
Ministry ofWater and Forestry
Payment for environmental services
