Moshood N. TIJANI POLICY SEMINAR Groundwater: Potential and Pitfalls for Africa 2023 UN Water Conference Side Event MAR 20, 2023 - 8:00 TO 9:30AM EDT

1. AMCOW AFRICA’S GROUNDWATER
DVELOPMENT PROGRAMME:
For Water Security and Resilience
in Africa
Moshood N. TIJANI,
AMCOW, Senior Policy Officer, WRM
Africa’s groundwater
development program

2.  Groundwater resources are unevenly distributed
across the continent and comprises the largest
freshwater resource in Africa
 For 50% of the total population in SSA primary
source of drinking water comes from
groundwater point sources
 For 8 out of 10 people live in rural communities,
access to safe WASH come from groundwater
 For increasing informal urban settlements, there
are increasing reliance on groundwater
 In the face of challenges of rainfed agriculture due
climate change, groundwater matters for Food
Security.
AFRICAN GROUNDWATER: POTENTIAL & AMCOW FOCUS

3. AMCOW GW Programme: Road Map
Key Planning
Stages

4. NEW SP ON GW: PURPOSE, OBJECTIVE & ALIGNMENTS
• Purpose of the AMCOW Groundwater Strategic Programme: Strengthen
policy & practice of groundwater to improve lives & livelihoods of
citizens across Africa
• Objective of the SP: Provide means for implementation of the
Groundwater Strategic Priority under AMCOW’S Strategic Operational
Plan (SOP) 2020–2024.
• Continental and Global Alignments:
Africa Water Vision 2025 and Africa Union’s Agenda 2063 “The Africa We Want”
Sharm El Sheikh Declaration and Ngor Ministerial Declaration
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
AMCOW’s Strategy 2018–2030 and Strategic Operational Plan 2020–2024

5. Components
COMPONENT 1: Aligning the African development agenda to ensure socio-economic
benefits through sustainable governance & development of groundwater resources.
Outcome 1: Integrated water resource management
governance & development for conjunctive use
prioritised for the most vulnerable communities
Outcome 2: Groundwater is on the development agenda
of Africa’s, and of AMCOW Member States, with
RECs/RBOs enabled to implement the GWSP
Output 1.3
Capacity &
resources for
groundwater
planning,
management &
sustainable
development
directed to
priority socio-
economic sub
regions
Output 2.2:
Increased
number of Pan-
African and
Member State
NDPs & policies
that explicitly
reflect
groundwater
Outcomes
Outputs
Output 1.2
Member States
capacitated to
implement
inclusive and
conjunctive
groundwater
planning &
management
Output 1.1:
Member States
government
arrangements &
organograms
reflect
groundwater
roles and
responsibilities
Output 2.3:
Increased
number of
RECs/RBOs
supporting
groundwater
mainstreaming
in Member
States
Output 2.1:
Groundwater is
explicit in
continental
socio-economic
development &
funding agendas
NEW SP ON GW: COMPONENTS, OUTCOMES & OUTPUTS

6. OUTCOMES STRATEGIC ACTIONS /ACTIVITIES
Outcome 1:
IWRM
Governance &
Development
1.1.1 Undertake workshops with RECs/RBOs/Member States to support strengthened
governance arrangements & organograms
1.1.2 Publish a guideline for Member State governments that outlines best practice for
groundwater inclusive governance arrangements & organograms
1.2.1 Implement a capacity building programme, supported by best practice, to enable Member
States to mainstream & implement sustainable groundwater development
1.3.1 Facilitate studies to identify priority uses/ sectors & most vulnerable populations that can
directly benefit from groundwater development in each Member State
1.3.2 Support the development of national capacity building & awareness-raising campaigns
targeted at local government & communities of socio-economic priority regions
Outcome 2:
Groundwater in
the development
agenda of MS
2.1.1 Develop communication & education materials & programmes targeting groundwater
decision makers & users on the Continent and in Member States
2.2.1 Prepare best practice guidelines, based on AMCOW Member State developments on
integration of groundwater in NDPs
2.2.2 Undertake workshops with appropriate RECs/RBOs/Member States to support groundwater
integration in NDPs & national policies
2.3.1 Position RECs/RBOs to support & inform Member State groundwater pathways
2.3.2 Establish GMIs under RECs to support groundwater mainstreaming in Member States
NEW SP ON GW: OUTCOMES AND STRATEGIC ACTIONS

7. COMPONENT 2: Creating an enabling environment for the sustainable development &
consumption of groundwater resources as a climate resilience application for Africa
Outcome 4: Effective institutional
arrangements & regulations promote
the sustainable development &
consumption of groundwater resources
Outcome 3: Groundwater is sustainably deployed & supporting socio-
economic development & climate resilience, particularly in vulnerable sub
regions
Output 3.1:
Monitoring
networks &
databases are
functional &
interlinked
Output 4.1:
Local–national–
regional
institutional
arrangements
for groundwater
development &
reporting
Output 3.2:
Increased
sustainable use
of groundwater
in critical socio-
economic
services &
sectors
Output 3.3:
Reports
available to
inform
governance &
infrastructure
development
Output 4.2:
Enhanced local
level regulations
available to
enable
sustainable
groundwater
resource
development
Output 3.4:
The extent to
which
groundwater is a
sustainable
climate
resilience
application is
scientifically
understood
Components
Outcomes
Outputs
NEW SP ON GW: COMPONENTS, OUTCOMES & OUTPUTS

8. OUTCOMES STRATEGIC ACTIONS/ACTIVITIES
Outcome 3:
Groundwater
socio-economic
development &
climate
resilience
3.1.1 Develop a Pan-African monitoring network that links the databases of GMIs under the
RECs/RBOs
3.1.2 Develop standardised monitoring & reporting methodologies to be used in all GMIs
3.1.3 Provide guidance on best practice tools & assessments
3.1.4 Convene Technical Focal Groups to enable monitoring & data sharing standards
3.2.1 Support the development of sustainable groundwater use & management plans at the
local level for critical socio-economic services & sectors (e.g., WASH, agriculture &
municipal water supply)
Outcome 4:
Effective
institutional
arrangements &
regulations
4.1.1 Undertake a series of workshops to support the development of institutional
arrangements for groundwater development & reporting
4.2.1 Continuously develop and review best practice guidelines on groundwater regulations for
sustainable groundwater development & management
4.2.2 Support Member States in procuring legal services & other relevant experts to strengthen
local level regulations for sustainable groundwater development & management
NEW SP ON GW: OUTCOMES AND STRATEGIC ACTIONS

9. Entry Point TARGETED OUTCOMES
Pan-Africa
a) Political commitment to actions (Heads of State, AUC and AMCOW)
b) Programmatic oversight informed (AUC and AMCOW)
c) Convened partnerships for Resource Mobilisation and Capacity Support
d) Guidelines‘ Preparation and Outreach
Regional
a) Strengthening of GW within REC RSIPs, Policies and Practices towards regional and macroeconomic
development
b) AMCOW (through Regional TACs) and RECs encourage individual MS to pursue APAGroP pathways
c) Regional GW Centres and AUDA-NEPAD Networks of Centres of Excellence contribute and roll out Guidelines:
advise on National CSTs on issues of regional significance
National
a) Improve policies and practices on GW for better lives and livelihoods through the most approproate pathway
in support of National Development aspirations
b) Commit Resources (tehnical anf financial) to GW Resources Assessment and Development
c) Convene National Forum of Partners for Resource Mobilisation and Capacity Support.
Sub-National
a) Within Nations with under-developed GW Resources:
- unlock benefits of GW in WASH (rural and urban), household food and nutrition security, local economic
transformation and value-chain agriculture
b) Within Nations with (over)developed GW Resources:
- Encourage sustainable use, develope monitoring and protection programmes to prevent over-exploitation
and pollution
DRAFT SP ON GW: ENTRY POINTS / IMPACTS

10. NEW SP ON GW: AMCOW ROLES / ENABLING CONDITIONS
Enabler 1: Effective groundwater governance & institutional arrangements
Enabler 2: Increasing financing and enhancing the effectiveness of interventions
Enabler 3: Increasing capacities for sustainable conjunctive groundwater development
Enabler 4: Leveraging innovation and technology for evidence base for groundwater policy & decision
making
Enabler 5: Deepening and disseminating knowledge and Collaborative Partnerships

11. Arising from the above, the new strategic programme is expected to:
 appraise the challenges and opportunities in the context of groundwater resources
development, management, and governance across Africa on one hand.
 focus on aquifers assessment to unlock groundwater potential for water security and socio-
economic development in Africa.
 address the knowledge and capacity gaps at national and regional levels and to define
pathways for sustainable development and management of groundwater resources in
Member States.
SUMMARY: EXPECTATION
Groundwater has the potential to provide societies with tremendous social, economic and
environmental benefits, including climate change adaptation.
Hence, the need for the AMCOW strategic Programme on Groundwater to advance the policy,
practice and governance of groundwater in the national and regional development plan across
Africa.

12. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
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