SMAS

The SMAS project is rooted in a vision of regional cooperation and shared stewardship of natural resources whose overarching goal is to foster multinational collaboration and build institutional capacities for the protection and sustainable management of the Senegal–Mauritanian Transboundary Aquifer System (SMAS) and the associated ecosystems. By pursuing this approach, the project seeks to enhance water and food security while building resilience to the growing impacts of climate change.

A Regional Working Group (RWG) bringing together the four States sharing the aquifer, alongside the Senegal River Basin Development Organization (OMVS), the Gambia River Basin Development Organization (OMVG), and the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) has been set-up for the project's purpose to be achieved. Serving as a platform for dialogue, coordination, and knowledge exchange, the RWG embodies the spirit of collective responsibility and regional solidarity.

Reinforcing transboundary cooperation and creating a permanent mechanism for coordinated management of the SMAS are two of the project's main objectives. This lasting institutional framework marks a decisive step toward shared governance, ensuring both the sustainable preservation of vital resources and the long-term well-being of the communities whose livelihoods depend on them.