6th AFRICA WATER WEEK SPECIAL SESSIONS  Sunday 17th  July

Topic:                          Civil Society Forum

Lead Convener:           ANEW

Co Convener:              WaterAid
Co Conveners:   IUCN/IIED (GWI & PAGE)

TIME

VENUE

09:00 - 17:00hrs

Ruaha

6th AFRICA WATER WEEK SPECIAL SESSIONS Wednesday 20th July

Topic:  Regional Integration and development of major water infrastructure projects in West Africa
Lead Convener:  ECOWAS
Co Conveners:   IUCN/IIED (GWI & PAGE)

TIME

VENUE

09:00 - 10:30hrs

Saadani Hall

Session objectives:          Share and promote the results of regional dialogue on Dams - ECOWAS Fuelling the debate on African economic, environmental and social issues of dams from field experiences in WA

Session Description:        (Presentations / Panel Discussion)
Introductory word: FAYE Mansour, Minister Water and Sanitation of Senegal, CMS President IWRM / WA
Regional Dialogue on major water infrastructure in West Africa: an innovative and promising approach for member countries; implementation of the ECOWAS guidelines on social aspects: experience feedback; implementation of the ECOWAS guidelines on economic aspects: Economic ex post evaluations of the dams;

Speakers & Panelists:      OMVS High Commissioner, SADC, Director GWI-AO, Mahamane Dédéou TOURE (ECOWAS); Jerôme Koundouno (IUCN/GWI ; Ibrahima Hathie (IPAR)  

Modérateur:                      Tamsir N’Diaye (SOGED/OMVS)

Topic:                               Improving Water Quality and Ecosystem health
Lead Convener:                 UNEP
Co Conveners:  

11:00 - 12:30hrs

Saadani Hall

Session objectives:          The IWQGES disseminated and feedback obtained from participants for further improvement.
Participants sensitized on how SDG targets 6.3 and 6.6 are being piloted in the GEMI project and how UNEP GEMS/Water can assist Governments to address the broader topic of ambient water quality

Session Description:        Present and obtain feedback on UNEP’s newly developed draft “International Water Quality Guidelines for Ecosystems (IWQGES)” which aim to aid governments set national standards and develop targeted action programmes to sustain and improve the health of freshwater ecosystems and deliver on the SDGs. To present and discuss how water quality monitoring and reporting is being envisaged in general and particularly within the SDG framework and how the UNEP Global Environment Monitoring System Water Programme GEMS/Water, which has received a renewed and strengthened global mandate in the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2014, can work with countries in support of water quality monitoring, providing evidence in the decision process through nationally tailored capacity development.
Speakers & Panelists:      Ms.  Nyaradzayi Anna Mawango, Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, Zimbabwe ;  Mr. Callist Tindimugaya, Commissioner for Water Resources Planning and Regulation, Uganda ; Mr. Hartwig Kremer,  Head of GEMS/Water Unit, Scientific Assessment, Branch, UNEP ; Ms. Deborah Chapman, Director GEMS/Water Capacity Development Centre, University College Cork, Ireland; Ibrahima Hathie (IPAR)   

Moderator:                        Mr Joakim Harlin, Chief Freshwater Ecosystems Unit, UNEP

Special Closed Session with Donors on Emerging Opportunities

14:00 - 17:30hrs

Saadani Hall