Bamako, Mali, is hosting from February 24 to 26, 2025, the first phase of the regional workshop dedicated to the development of the Strategic Action Program (SAP) of the Iullemeden-Taoudéni/Tanezrouft Aquifer System (ITTAS).
The opening ceremony was chaired by Mr. Nouhoum Coulibaly, Technical Advisor and Representative of the Minister of Energy and Water of Mali, who delivered a speech highlighting the importance of strengthening the management, governance, conservation and protection of water resources. He stressed the need for an approach based on in-depth knowledge of the Niger River Basin and the Iullemeden-Taoudéni/Tanezrouft Aquifer Systems, in order to promote Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) for the benefit of communities and ecosystem resilience.
Subsequently, Mr. Abdelkader DODO, Water Expert at the Sahara and Sahel Observatory, took the floor to emphasize the importance of validating the SAP at the highest levels of all government authorities.
In his speech, Mr. Sekou Diarra, National Director of Hydraulics of Mali, highlighted the critical issues related to the management of water resources in the region. He first stressed the importance of analysing transboundary risks to achieve optimal management of water resources. With this in mind, the NB IITAS project appears as a strategic tool to improve integrated water resources management and provide a better understanding of the aquifers vulnerability.
The TDA aims to identify and analyse the major challenges related to the management of groundwater resources in the ITTAS basin. It is based on in-depth scientific studies and feedback from the various stakeholders.
This first phase will make it possible to 1) make a detailed inventory of water resources and associated ecosystems; 2) identify transboundary problems and governance issues; and 3) define the methodological bases of the SAP taking into account technical data and local dynamics.
The restitution and analysis of the results obtained during this session will help structure an intervention framework adapted to the field realities. During these three days, around thirty participants – experts, government representatives, associations, communities and specialized institutions – are invited to share their experiences and recommendations with the purpose of reaching a common understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to the sustainable management of the ITTAS aquifer system.
This first step is a decisive milestone in the SAP development, which will be further developed and validated during the second phase of the workshop.