The Sahara and Sahel Observatory highlights water governance issues at IRRIMED EXPO 2025

The OSS participated in the Mediterranean Forum and Exhibition for Water, Irrigation, and Energy – IRRIMED EXPO 2025, which took place in Tunis from June 17 to 20, 2025. This major event brought together key stakeholders of sustainable water management, including public institutions, local authorities, technical and scientific experts, as well as regional and international partners. On this occasion, during a session on water governance in a context of increasing scarcity, the OSS presented its regional experience in collaborative water resource management, particularly transboundary water resources (the North Western Sahara Aquifer System (NWSAS), the Taoudéni-Tanezrouft Aquifer System, and the Senegal-Mauritania Aquifer System (SMAS), emphasizing the urgent need for an integrated, inclusive approach adapted to local realities. The OSS emphasized that, in the face of pressure on water resources (climate change, growing population, and intensive use), it is important to strengthen cooperation, data sharing, and the involvement of all stakeholders.

The OSS booth gave room for discussions and made it possible to showcase several digital solutions to support informed decision-making, including:

• MISBAR, for monitoring natural resources;
• MISLAND, for monitoring land degradation;
• GuetCrop, for agricultural early warning; and
• SAQIYA, for irrigation management.

With its participation in IRRIMED EXPO 2025, the OSS took part in a side event dedicated to levers for action to face water scarcity. During this event, it explained that, although a shared resource, water is still subject to fragmented and insufficiently coordinated management, thus limiting the ability to respond to growing challenges. It also advocated for more resilient water governance based on knowledge, transparency, innovation, and inclusion.

The OSS reaffirms, once again, its commitment to supporting its member countries towards more efficient, collaborative, and sustainable management of water resources in the Sahel-Saharan and Mediterranean regions.