Prof Mathias Fru Fonteh, Chair of GWP Cameroon, was appointed by the Prime Minister in September to be the Director in charge of hydraulics and hydrology in the Ministry of Energy and Water. Prof Fru Fonteh is one of the five founding champions of GWP Central Africa.

The approval of the IWRM Strategic Action Plan for the Congo Basin by the International Commission for the Congo-Oubangui-Sangha basin (CICOS) in late 2010 paves the way for realising the vast potential of the catchment.

Sustainable development requires multi-stakeholder partnerships. That is the message of a new report on water security in Africa published by the Global Water Partnership. (Photo: GWP Executive Secretary Dr Ania Grobicki and Hon Buyelwa P. Sonjica, AMCOW President and Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs in South Africa)

Abundant freshwater resources caracterise Cameroon, yet the country faces severe water challenges as a result of management, legal and institutional deficiencies. Due to the fragmented water sector, development in Cameroon goes slowly. To increase the sustainability of water resources management, Cameroon has embarked on a process towards developing integrated water resources management plans.

At the June 2010 meeting of the African Minister’s Council on Water (AMCOW) GWP's work for advancing the water agenda on the continent was recognised. The AMCOW Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) appreciated GWP's contribution and gave GWP an additional mandate to work in four key areas:

At a regional workshop on financing the water sector in Central Africa, participants expressed the urgent need for investments in basin, national and regional organizations. In addition, participants validated the proposed regional strategy for financing the water sector and its mechanism as proposed by GWP Central Africa (GWP-CAf). One participant called the strategy “relevant, consistent and forward looking.”

GWP Cameroon has cooperated with the Kumbo Urban Council and the locally managed Kumbo Water Authority to improve the management of water supply in Kumbo, Cameroon where the ownership of the water supply system has resulted in a more than thirty year long conflict.

Although integrating IWRM into existing management structures is a long-term endeavour, taking a consultative approach raises awareness, fosters community participation and encourages different sectors to coordinate their efforts.