Rabia Faousia OUEDRAOGO is a young student at the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2IE), in her third year of a degree in Water and Sanitation, who completed an internship at the GWP-WA Regional Secretariat from January to March 2019. As part of her activities, she carried out a field visit on 01 March 2019, in the village of Ramitenga, a rural commune of Loumbila. She spoke with young people and women from the beneficiary population about their participation in the activities of the micro-drip irrigation demonstration project initiated as part of the WACDEP Programme in Burkina Faso. In this article, Ms. Ouédraogo draws lessons from her forty-five-day stay at GWP-WA Regional Secretariat and makes recommendations following the field mission.

Global Water Partnership had its online ‘Follow the Sun’ consultation on 25-26 June for all regions. Each region had two hours starting with GWP Southern Africa at 12:00 to 14:00 on 25 June and ending with GWP Eastern Africa at 15:00 to 17:00 on 26 June 2019. GWP West Africa had its regional consultation on 26 June 2019 from 10:00 to 12:00 with two country sites (Abidjan and Abuja) participating. Conakry and Banjul could not join because of technical issues related to internet connection on these sites.

The Volta Basin Authority (VBA) and GWP have concluded the recruitment process of the two Volta Project staff to be located for the Technical Project Manager at the Executive Directorate of VBA and for the Project Technical Assistant at GWP-WA secretariat.

The Adaptation Fund has funded for US$ 7.92 million a regional project submitted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in partnership with the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) and Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP-WA). The Project intitled "Integrating Flood and Drought Management and Early Warning Systems for Climate Change Adaptation in the Volta Basin" will contribute to improve the resilience of countries sharing the Volta Basin to flood and drought risks and to ensure sustainable socio-economic development of the riparian populations.

The training workshops on ''Ecosystem planning and management for climate change adaptation in the Volta Basin'' were organized for Togo in Kara, from 11 to 15 June 2019 and for Côte d’Ivoire in Bondoukou, from 17 to 21 June 2019.

The project for the Assessment of Technological Needs (EBT) was officially launched on June 13, 2019 in Conakry by the Chief of Cabinet of the Ministry of Environment in coordination with the National Directorate of Environment through the Project focal point.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) organized a sub-regional workshop on the integrated biogas system at the SONGHAI Centre (Benin) from 17 to 28 June 2019. Mr. Mohamed Lamine KEITA, President of JAG a CWP partner NGO represented the CWP Guinea.

The water and sanitation sector stakeholders met on 28 and 29 June 2019 in Cotonou for the traditional sector review. Stakeholders shared and exchanged on progress but also reflected on major concerns in order to ensure sustainable access to water and sanitation for the population.

The transboundary issue is key in water resources management in Africa and mostly in West Africa where all countries except the Island of Cape Verde share at least one river with at least another country. The region has 22 major transboundary river basins, and six established transboundary river basin authorities to contribute to strengthen transboundary cooperation.

In preparation for the 9th edition of the World Water Forum, to be held in Dakar, Senegal in 2021, the Kick-Off Meeting (Preparatory Process) was held on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 June 2019 in Dakar by the Government of Senegal and the World Water Council. The activity was launched by the Minister of Water and Sanitation of Senegal, Mr. Serigne Mbaye Thiam and the President of the World Water Council, Mr. Loïc Fauchon.