Regional Project: Overview on Groundwater in the Niger Basin Authority (NBA)

Country / Region: West Africa / Regional Project Approach / Office of the Project in Niamey / Niger
Focal Point: Groundwater

Begin of project: May 1, 2015

End of project: September 30, 2019

Status of project: June 15, 2020

Uninstallation of a hand pump in preparation of taking water samples from a borehole well in the Kandi region of Benin Source: Kolja Bosch

The Niger Basin  

The Niger River is the lifeline of West Africa. With its 4200 km, it is the third longest river in Africa. Its water catchment area of about 2.1 million km² is about six times as large as the Federal Republic of Germany. It stretches over nine countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. Most of the approximately 125 million people in the catchment area of River Niger are living from farming, fishing and animal husbandry. They are dependent on the waters of the Niger. Together with its tributaries, the Niger is the main resource for irrigated agriculture, fishing, transportation and energy. However, strong population growth, climate change and a lack of resource management put the water resources of the Niger Basin under increasing pressure. Thus, the livelihoods of the people and the development of the entire region are threatened.

The Niger Basin Authority (NBA)

The Niger Basin Authority was established in 1980 by the nine riparian countries. The Executive Secretariat is based in Niamey (Republic of Niger). In each of the nine member countries, NBA National Focal Structures exist to introduce regional resources policy at the level of the member countries, on the one hand, and to act as contact for regional projects. On the other hand, they represent the member countries’ important interests at the regional level. However, the lack of an investment component for the protection of groundwater resources in the Niger River basin in terms of ecology and water resources management is an issue. Hydro-geological data of the Niger Basin is barely available and unstructured or outdated. This data therefore does not provide a sufficient basis for sustainable management. An integrated water resources management (IWRM), can only be implemented by NBA when both the surface and groundwater resources and their mutual interactions are known.

The Project

The project is part of the "NBA Integrated Water Resources Management" programme of the German Development Cooperation (DC) and supports the Niger Basin Authority in including measures for groundwater protection and sustainable use of groundwater in their strategic and operational planning. The training and education of NBA employees and the relevant authorities in the Member Countries are a key requirements. The project activities aim to sensitize NBA in the field of groundwater management, thus pave the way for later organizational measures for its integration. The integration shall improve the people’s living conditions within the river catchment area in the medium to long term. 

The objective of the project is to develop and implement a sustainable groundwater management through the collection and analysis of data relevant for groundwater and capacity building in NBA and in the 9 National Focal Structures of the Member Countries. 

Project results (1. Phase)

Project results and activities (2. Phase)

Case study:

A first step for collecting current data is the implementation of a groundwater measuring network in 2 pilot regions and afterwards, on a regional level of the Niger Basin. In December 2017, the project undertook a 10 days mission to the North of Benin (Kandi). A team consisting of 5 experts in Hydrogeology and Water management of NBA, BGR and Water Ministry of Benin identified boreholes to install data logger and to take water samples. They undertook pumping trials at 13 boreholes, took ground water samples and installed data logger.

The collected data will serve to develop thematic maps and to formulate recommendations for action for the trans-boundary pilot region in Benin, Niger and Nigeria.

Partner:

Niger Basin Authority (NBA) in Niamey/Niger