Regional forum of VBA Stakeholders

    The Volta Basin Authority (VBA) held from August 3 to 5, 2015, in Abidjan, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire the Regional Stakeholder Forum on Governance in the Volta Basin under the theme "Water, source of conflict or cooperation".
    Organized by the VBA in collaboration with IUCN, the meeting gathered the focal points of the VBA, civil society, the six riparian countries (Benin, Burkina, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, and Togo) and resource persons from IUCN, WRCC / ECOWAS, CILSS and GWP / WA.

    The overall objective of the Forum is to offer the VBA an awareness and information platform for key players in the water sector for the improvement of water governance in the Volta Basin.
    Fruitful exchanges have helped to review the concerns of Basin stakeholders and cases on the BUI dam in Ghana and the Nioumbiel one in Burkina were presented as concrete examples of situations where if managed well water could be a source of cooperation on the benefits of its management.
    Recommendations were addressed to States to improve mechanisms for the regulation of water-related practices in the Member States of the VBA; to ABV to take all steps to ensure a smooth implementation of the strategy for the ratification of the charter being drafted; to sub-regional organizations and institutions to strengthen the dialogue on water platforms that help to sit IWRM and facilitate the participation of Stakeholders.
    It was particularly recommended to GWP to lead in the VBA Member States, some advocacy-lobbying to strengthen the recognition and inclusion of water in the implementation of development policies and programs and take a joint initiative in relation to the structuring of civil society in the Volta basin.