Dakar Action Plan for lake, river and aquifer basins

The Dakar Action Plan for lake, river and aquifer basins is the practical implementation of the Dakar Declaration “A Blue Pact for Water and Sanitation Security for Peace and Development”, signed by the heads of state, government and international institutions.

It was launched at the 9th World Water Forum, organised around the theme of “Water Security for Peace and Development”, which for the first time included a day dedicated to water resource management at basin level (“basin segment”) in 2022.

The aim? To mobilise the key players in basin management (basin organisations and committees, ministries, donors, water users’ associations, etc.) and significantly influence the progress and conclusions of the United Nations Water Conference, scheduled for March 2023, around the global need to speed up the implementation of targets 6.5.1 and 6.5.2 (Integrated Resource Management) of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on clean water and sanitation, “by the basins and for the basins”.

By committing to this Action Plan for river basins, lakes and aquifers, the signatories wish to:

• Confirm the role and effectiveness of basin organisations in promoting water security, peace and sustainable development.
• Promote their positive impact and concrete results.
• Strengthen their visibility and institutional frameworks, particularly for transboundary basins.
• Highlight the need for Basin Organisations, particularly transboundary ones, to have easier access to funding and to develop their own sustainable financing.

We are convinced that the basin management model strengthens dialogue and the participation of a variety of stakeholders, and leads to a better collective understanding of the water challenges of the future. For INBO and its partners, Dakar presents a major opportunity to step up the level of ambition around IWRM at basin level, and make it a political priority for the United Nations Water Conference in March 2023.

Eric TARDIEU – INBO Secretary General – 2022