Koudougou: Burkina Faso has taken a significant step towards environmental preservation with the establishment of a National Coordination of Users of Natural Resources (CNU) in the Volta Basin, as part of the REWarD project on Thursday.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the workshop in Koudougou brought together 90 participants, including representatives of user associations, local authorities, and sector experts, with oversight from the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Sanitation. This initiative aligns with article 121 of the Volta Basin Water Charter and aims for shared and sustainable governance of the basin's resources.
Burkina Faso joins Mali, Benin, and Ivory Coast as the fourth nation in the basin to establish such an organization. The initiative has been positively received by stakeholders and is seen as essential in addressing challenges facing the basin. Representatives from all 12 regions affected by the basin participated, underscoring the project's importance. The objective is to involve key natural resource users in management efforts to better organize and preserve the ecosystem.
Adjara Ou©draogo/Kientega, representing the governor of the Centre-West region, emphasized the authorities' dedication to supporting the CNU's official recognition. She highlighted the importance of administrative support for the coordination to fulfill its mission of managing and conserving shared resources.
The Deputy Executive Director of the Volta Basin Authority, Dibi Millogo, highlighted the high stakes involved. He noted issues like pollution, unsuitable agricultural practices, and general degradation of water resources. Millogo stressed the need to involve local stakeholders, both users and guardians of water, to encourage more respectful practices.
The Volta Basin, with its potential in hydroelectricity, aquaculture, and agriculture, requires such mobilization to ensure sustainability. Flora Dubary/Bationo, coordinator of the ABV national focal structure, pointed out that Burkina Faso already has similar structures for other basins. The creation of this coordination for the Volta Basin was necessary to incorporate participation and subsidiarity principles into integrated water resource management.
Participant Amira David expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, noting its urgency in organizing against the impacts of climate change and human actions on natural resources. She hopes the new structure will receive strong support from partners to fulfill its mission.
The workshop resulted in the validation of mapping results, adoption of action and capacity building plans, and election of the first-ever CNU executive board. These developments set the stage for collaborative management of the Volta Basin's natural resources, crucial for the future of millions.