The response strategy document is the main outcome of the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)-funded Global Water Leadership in a Changing Climate Program (GWL). The program was implemented in the country by GWPO, GWP-CAf, and GWP-CAR in collaboration with the Ministry of Development, Energy, and Water Resources from June 2022 to March 2024. The document is the outcome of a stakeholder consultation process to identify the barriers hindering the implementation of sustainable water management and propose solutions to address these barriers. The response strategy document is a well-developed presentation of the proposed solutions and estimated budget for implementation.
The main objective of the workshop was to launch the response strategy and mobilize stakeholders for its implementation. In his keynote address to the participants, the Chair of the CAR Country Water Partnership, Mr. Barnabé FALIBAI, highlighted that the launch of the strategy is the last activity of the program which ended in March, and its timing is a targeted action to ensure the insertion of the response strategy into the government-led review of the WASH sector for 2024. He further expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Water Resources on behalf of GWP for the support in the development and validation process of the strategy.
Speaking on behalf of the director of Cabinet, Mr. Sylvain Guebanda commended participants for their presence, which shows their interest in matters concerning sustainable water resource management in the country. “Water resource management in a climate change context is a global challenge and even more so in CAR. The government is committed to promoting joint solutions to this issue, and that is why we have continuously given our support to the GWL program team, most especially in the validation of the document and in convening technical and financial partners to mobilize resources for the implementation of the response strategy. Continuing his remarks, he thanked the TFPs in the sector for the commitments made towards the implementation of the strategy during the roundtable event in April 2024 and thanked them for their support towards improving the water sector, which will in turn improve living conditions. Finally, he reiterated CAR's appreciation to the British Government through FCDO for funding the GWL program.
Following the speeches, Mr. Crésus KODONGO NDROU, former GWL Coordinator, delivered a detailed presentation on the response strategy and the initial commitments towards its implementation made by partners during the roundtable event.
The event concluded with a session during which participants received hard copies of the response strategy . This launch marks a pivotal step towards resilient water resource management in CAR, reflecting a collaborative effort to address the challenges posed by climate change and improve the living conditions of the population.