Last week, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) announced two strategic partnerships that will significantly enhance water security, climate resilience, and policy innovation across West Africa and the Sahel.
IWMI signed a five-year agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission to enhance governance of transboundary water resources across ECOWAS member states. This partnership aims to co-develop digital tools for drought and flood forecasting, promote knowledge and data exchange through regional platforms, and support biodiversity conservation and agrifood system resilience.
The IWMI - ECOWAS partnership aims to co-develop digital tools for drought and flood forecasting, promote knowledge and data exchange through regional platforms, and support biodiversity conservation and agrifood system resilience
IWMI formalized a new collaboration with the National Water Resources Management Agency (NWRMA) of Sierra Leone, focused on advancing research, capacity building, and innovation in sustainable water and land management. The five-year agreement supports the development of early warning systems, knowledge-sharing platforms, inclusive governance and climate-smart tools for water security in the country.
The signing of these two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) took place in Accra, Ghana, and marks a major step forward in regional cooperation.
“These partnerships signal a shared regional commitment to science-driven, inclusive water governance,” explained Olufunke Cofie, IWMI’s Africa Director for Research Impact. “By aligning efforts, we can tackle climate risks, advance food and water security, and drive meaningful impact across the region.”
“It is great for us to have this kind of support from IWMI to do our best for the ECOWAS community,” said Kouassi Kouakou Alexis, Director of the ECOWAS Water Resources Management Centre. “Let us continue to work together to have a concrete impact on our populations through water management in the region.”
“Sierra Leone has many water challenges and when looking for partnerships to solve this problem, there is no better organization than IWMI,” said Mohamed Sahr E Juanah, Director of Hydrological Services of NWRMA. “This is just the start of a long journey, however, with unity and determination we believe we can achieve our goals.“
The signing ceremony brought together IWMI’s management and members of the Board of Governors, representatives from ECOWAS and NWRMA, and regional stakeholders dedicated to advancing water and climate resilience.
These partnerships align with IWMI’s West and Central Africa Roadmap 2024–2030, which prioritizes resilient agrifood systems, transboundary governance, climate-risk reduction, digital innovation, water infrastructure, circular economy, gender equality, social inclusion and capacity building. Collectively, these initiatives will harness Earth observation, inclusive research and regional cooperation to confront pressing challenges such as water scarcity, climate variability and rural poverty.
