The PMT led several missions to introduce consultants in the two regions and three municipalities where the studies are to be carried out. These are very fragile security areas where vigilance is at the highest.
There were exchanges with the authorities on the mechanisms of field interventions to allow reviewing together with the communities the current level of insecurity in the project's target areas and identify the strategy for conducting field missions. There was an agreement on a roadmap for field activities which could be officially launched.
The activities related to the establishment of the IWRM Institutional bodies at the level of the Mekrou sub-basin cover the 3 communes of Falmey, Tamou and Kirtachi. To start implementation, the NGO Taimako Manoma of Maradi has recruited 3 facilitators, one per commune and 5 villages in each commune.
The training of the facilitators was held from 24th to 26th May, 2021, in Niamey. It was facilitated by two experts in socio-anthropology and IWRM.
The work assigned to the facilitators consists in supporting the establishment or restructuring and making operational the IWRM bodies (WUA) in each village; supporting the establishment of Local Water Committees (LWC) at the commune level; participating in the establishment of the water agency in the sub-basin; following up on the proximity and implementation of IWRM activities; supporting the mobilization of resources during the implementation of the 3 pilot actions for the development of water resources in the sub-basin; documenting activities.
A participatory process will be used to establish the WUAs involving all the stakeholders including the water users, namely: consumers, farmers, breeders, fishermen, builders, etc. Each category of stakeholder will be represented in the structures. To do this, a general assembly will be organized to identify the users present in the village and then specific questionnaires will be filled out.
In the meantime, the Mekrou Project Phase 2 Niger was presented to the new Minister of Hydraulics and sanitation after he entered office.
Under preparation, The second Steering Committee of the Project is planned to be held probably in June.
Despite the problem of insecurity and the prevalence of covid 19 in the project's intervention zone, work will continue with the same momentum so that all the activities planned for Year 2 of the implementation of the Mékrou 2 Niger project can be completed.