The Sahara and Sahel Observatory organized, in Ouagadougou, the fourth meeting of the Steering Committee of the AdaptWAP project, in collaboration with the National Office of Protected Areas (OFINAP), National Project Management Unit in Burkina Faso.
The purpose of this meeting was to assess the project progress and to define new orientations for the execution of the fourth year activities, taking into account the current context of the region.
The opening of the session, chaired by Mr. Yacouba SEYBOU, Director General of Waters and Forests of Niger and outgoing Chairman of the CoPil, was marked by the speeches of Mr. Paul DJIGUEMDE, Technical Advisor of the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Sanitation of Burkina Faso and Mr Kaboré BARNABE, Director General of Water and Forests of Burkina Faso.
The meeting focused on the results of the mid-term evaluation, the effective start of the multi-risk early warning system and the prioritization of income-generating activities for the benefit of the populations.
The execution of the AdaptWAP project activities made it possible to develop, at the regional level, management and planning products such as the Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the Complex and the guide for integrating adaptation measures. in the planning and management tools of the complex. The partners' efforts led to the implementation, at the national level, of real climate change adaptation measures such as the development of transhumance corridors, water points and grazing areas in the vicinity of the WAP Complex as well as income-generating activities for young people and women. Awareness missions on the issues and challenges related to climate change have been carried out, as well as training on good practices for the sustainable management of natural resources and disaster management.
At the end of the exchanges, the CoPil formulated recommendations with a view to speeding-up the implementation of the AdaptWAP project activities within the framework of an action plan integrating the results of the various supervision missions carried out by the project implementing entity.
The OSS wishes to thank all the participants for their valuable contribution and reaffirms its commitment to the effective implementation of the AdaptWAP project to make the WAP complex a common space for conservation and regional integration in West Africa.
The next CoPil meeting is due on April 2024 in Cotonou - Benin.