The Regional Working Group (RWG) on the Senegal-Mauritania Aquifer Basin (BASM) meets on February 17-18, 2025. This event marks a key step towards the establishment of common and sustainable governance for this precious transboundary aquifer system, which links four countries (Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal) and constitutes a vital resource for their populations.
The main objective of this meeting is to develop concrete options for establishing a regional cooperation framework for the BASM. This document, already validated at ministerial level at the meeting of October 22, 2024, has been officially transmitted to the countries in preparation for its signature at the United Nations Water Conference in 2026.
The RWG's discussions will focus on :
- Defining the institutional and legal mechanisms required for effective, shared BASM governance;
- Strengthening national water institutions, particularly with regard to groundwater management;
- Supporting countries in harmonizing their legal and institutional frameworks, while promoting cooperation on BASM.
This is part of a coordinated approach with the work carried out by the SMAS project financed by the Global Environment Facility. In particular, this project includes OSS's Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA), a crucial step in identifying the issues, challenges and opportunities linked to aquifer management.
This meeting is being held in conjunction with a specific training workshop organized on February 19 to 21, to introduce the methodologies and tools needed to carry out the TDA, an essential step in diagnosing cross-border groundwater issues and laying the foundations for cooperation.
Additional training sessions are planned at a later date, notably on databases, water resource governance and hydrogeological modelling. These sessions will strengthen the capacities of national and regional institutions in the sustainable management of BASM's water resources.
This meeting of the RWG marks a decisive milestone in the construction of a cross-border cooperation agreement on the BASM. It reflects the commitment of the countries concerned to work together proactively to protect and enhance this shared resource, essential for the sustainable development of the region.