The project is expected to accelerate the preparation and financing of transboundary water projects and foster a water-food-energy nexus approach in the development of hydropower Projects.
In 2012, African Heads of states adopted the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). PIDA is a programme of the African Union (AU) implemented by the planning and coordination Agency of NEPAD. The PIDA Priority Action Plan (PIDA PAP) comprises 51 cross-border programmes covering the four sectors of transport, energy, trans-boundary water resources management and ICT.
In November 2017, the NEPAD Agency and the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) commissioned a review of the implementation of transboundary water projects under PIDA. According to the review water projects showed little progress compared to projects in other PIDA focus areas: ICT, Energy, and Transport.
To address the lack of progress in implementation and focus attention on water, the NEPAD Agency, in collaboration with Global Water Partnership (GWP), has established ‘NEPAD PIDA Water Project’ as part of support to the implementation of PIDA (2019-2024)
PIDA Water Project comprises a portfolio of transboundary water and hydropower projects and will be implemented by the NEPAD Agency, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), River Basin Organisations, member states.
GWP support to PIDA Water Project will be provided within the framework of the Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) under Component 2 on Project preparation. Developed by GWP in collaboration with AfDB, Africa Water Facility (AWF), AU and AMCOW, AIP is an outcome of the joint UN and World Bank High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) established by the President of the World Bank and UN Secretary General in 2016, to catalyse global action on water and sanitation as means towards achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Championed by three African Heads of state on the HLPW (South Africa, Mauritius and Senegal), the outcome document of the HLPW called for the launch of the AIP with support from GWP, AfDB, World Bank and other partners. The goal of AIP is to transform and improve the investment outlook for water security and sustainable sanitation for a prosperous, peaceful and equitable society.
The PIDA Water Dialogue between GWP and NEPAD was held in Botswana on the 12th July 2018.