２３４：アフリカの地下水管理CB

Cap-Netからの情報である。今までもお知らせしたことがあるが、IWRM情報発信の草分け的な世界ネットである。今回はアフリカにおける地下水管理のキャパビリに関して。

Groundwater capacity building takes off in Africa

A regional course on “Groundwater Management within IWRM” was held in Dakar,Senegal from 25-29 May. It was the first course organised by the Africa Groundwater Network (AGW-Net). The course was convened in partnership with the Geology Department/ Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Cheikh Anta Diop University and the Senegal Country Water Partnership (PNES) and supported by Cap-Net and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of Germany (BGR). Thirty participants attended the course from 12 francophone countries in West and Central Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo).

Officials attending the opening ceremony praised the attendance of 10 female course participants because groundwater has been traditionally viewed as a male domain. Participants found the workshop as an excellent forum to exchange and discuss the main groundwater management challenges in Africa. They especially emphasised the importance of groundwater monitoring and discussed strategic actions for better advocacy to raise awareness of the importance of groundwater to decision makers.

It is interesting to note that during the same week, the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) convened a multi-stakeholder dialogue focusing on groundwater, in part to raise the profile of the groundwater resource in their sub-region. AGW-Net plan to hold a similar course across other African regions.

AGW－Netの存在も確認した。

ザンビアなどでのJICAさんの村落給水管理への支援活動も実に素晴らしいが、ぜひこうした国際的な会議で発表して頂くと有難い。

アフリカも広い。サブサハラ地域や南部アフリカなど地域に密着した地下水管理の在り方を改めて認識させていただいた。