"Addressing Transboundary Concerns in the Volta River Basin and its Downstream Coastal Area," a presentation by Olumide Akinsola on the UNEP/GEF Volta River Basin Project. 2012.

1. Addressing Transboundary
Concerns in the Volta River Basin
and its Downstream Coastal Area
Olumide Akinsola
UNEP/GEF Volta River Basin Project
GEF-Volta

2. • Project title: Addressing
Introduction
Transboundary Concerns
in the Volta River Basin
and its Downstream
Coastal Area
• Regional initiative of the
Volta River Basin within
the six riparian countries
of Benin, Burkina Faso,
Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana,
Mali and Togo.

3. Introduction
• Three Specific Objectives:
– Specific Objective n° 1: Build capacity, improve
knowledge and enhance stakeholders’ involvement
to support the effective management of the VRB
– Specific Objective n° 2: Develop river basin legal,
regulatory and institutional frameworks and
management instruments for addressing
transboundary concerns in the Volta River Basin and
its downstream coastal area
– Specific Objective n° 3: Demonstrate national and
regional measures to combat transboundary
environmental degradation in the Volta Basin.

4. Project long
term objective
Equitable and
sustainable management
of water and associated
natural resources
►Enhance countries ability : plan/manage
►Ensure effective management
►Regional institutional frameworks
►Legal and regulatory frameworks
►Develop National/regional priorities

5. Institutional framework: key components
►VBA – Ministers: Water & Environment
►Implementing Agency: UNEP/DGEF
►Executing agencies: UNOPS, UCC Water
►Project Steering Committee (PSC)
►Project Management Unit (PMU)
►Project Task Force (PTF)???
►National project body: NFP and NIC

6. Key Project
Results
• Specific objective 1
• Establish the Project Management
and Coordination mechanism with
VBA
• Identify and fill training gaps:
IRB/TDA/SAP process
• Develop stakeholders involvement
plan
• Dev. information exchange
mechanism
• Support establishment of VB
Observatory
Specific Objective n° 1: Build
capacity, improve knowledge
and enhance stakeholders’
involvement to support the
effective management of the
VRB

7. Key Project
Results
• Specific objective 2
• Aimed to finalize and agree on a
geographically specific, quantitative TDA ;
development of SAP and the APNP-VRB
• National TDA report finalized and
validated
• 4 Regional Thematic reports on water
resources, ecosystems, governance
analysis and economic status completed
by TDA regional experts (long delays)
• Regional TDA Document drafted
• SAP Delayed, now commencing-TORs
posted on internet.
Specific Objective n° 2:
Develop river basin legal,
regulatory and institutional
frameworks and
management instruments for
addressing transboundary
concerns in the Volta River
Basin and its downstream
coastal area

8. Key Project
Results
• Specific objective 3
► Joint management of a flow release
warning system in the Sourou river valley
(Mali – Burkina Faso)
► Installing and comparing technological
models of waste water treatment in the
Cities of Kara (Togo) and Natitingou
(Benin)
►Restoring and protecting the river beds of
the Black Volta and its tributaries through
participative campaigns of reforestation
(Côte d’Ivoire – Ghana)
Specific Objective n° 3:
Demonstrate national
and regional measures
to combat
transboundary
environmental
degradation in the
Volta Basin.

9. Demo Project
Challenges
Demo project 1
• Reluctant to share information
Demo Project 2
• Kara Municipality: Challenge to resettle
inhabitants along the river bank (Options
proposed)
• How to deal with private sector involvement in
project implementation
Demo Project –Benin: Non relevance of demo project
Demo Project 3
• Political situation in Cote d’Ivoire: Bilateral
meeting between Ghana & Côte d’Ivoire delayed
• National Partners Capacity limited

10. Main challenges with Project implementation
• Reliance on consultants: Delay in submission of
reports
• Resignation of consultants mid-way into activities/
Non completion on agreed assignments
• Lack of coordination/ feedback from national
partners on specific issues, like MOA funding/
reporting
• Non mobilisation of national co-finance contribution
• Political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire : Affected mainly the
TDA process and the Demo Project implementation.
• Agreements issues: Executing and Implementation
partners

11. Priority Capacity-Building needs
• Training of National Partners or Incentives
to deliver?
• Limited Consultants to engage in TDA/SAP
process
Need for Collaboration
• Linking other institutional strengths in
Groundwater issues to project process
• Linking Coastal issues

12. Activities Pictures

13. Thank you for your attention
http://gefvolta.iwlearn.org
GEF-Volta