OSS pays a courtesy visit to the Minister of Energy and Water of Mali, Bamako, February 27, 2025

An OSS mission, paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency Mr. Boubacar Diane, Minister of Energy and Water of Mali. This meeting allowed the OSS mission to present the opportunities offered by the shared groundwater resources in the Iullemeden-Taoudéni/Tanezrouft aquifer system and the challenges related to their management, as well as the prospects related to the adoption of the Strategic Action Program, the subject of the workshop being held in Bamako from February 24 to 28, 2025.

On this occasion, the OSS mission informed the Minister of the upcoming ITTAS Ministerial Conference, due on April 2025 in Nouakchott. This Conference will bring together decision-makers from the relevant countries to endorse regional commitments to coordinated and sustainable management of shared groundwater resources. In addition, the mission discussed the 7th OSS General Assembly, which will be held in Tunis, providing an additional opportunity to strengthen synergies and mobilize partners to finance the next phase of the project.

In his speech, the Minister reiterated his commitment to provide all necessary support for the implementation and completion of the activities carried out in Mali within the framework of the ITTAS project. He also welcomed the excellent relations between the OSS and Mali, stressing the importance of strengthened cooperation to address the challenges of sustainable management of water resources. He highlighted the key role of the OSS in supporting Sahelian countries in the management of water resources and in the establishment of coordinated initiatives to ensure water security and sustainable development in the region.