Project – Improving the Enabling Environment for Sustainable and Equitable Water Resources Management in the Volta Basin
The Volta Basin Authority (VBA) has obtained financing from the African Development Bank Group for the Improvement of the Enabling Environment for Sustainable and Equitable Management of Water Resources in the Volta Basin Project.
Development objective
To improve the enabling environment in terms of data and information in order to: i) support the development of the Master Plan for Water Development and Management in the basin and ii) build consensus between the countries in the basin around the implementation of the Noumbiel multi-use dam project.
Project components
Component 1: Carrying out studies and developing tools to support the preparation of a master plan for the integrated development and management of water resources in the Volta Basin;
- A multi-sectoral diagnostic study of each of the six (6) member countries of the Basin to understand the constraints and opportunities for the development of water resources in each of these countries.
- Hydro-economic model for the management and allocation of water resources in the Basin in order to analyse, propose and test different water use scenarios taking into account existing and planned infrastructures, different possible climate change scenarios and environmental/ecosystem requirements.
- Updating knowledge of surface and groundwater observation networks.
- An assessment of current and future water abstraction and water needs in the Basin.
Component 2: Feasibility studies for the Noumbiel multi-use dam project;
- A technical, social and environmental feasibility study for the Noumbiel dam project.
- An analysis of the beneficial use (existing and potential) of water resources and the potential benefits of the project, the impact of the project at regional level, etc.
- An analysis of institutional solutions for the project, taking into account ownership and benefit sharing from a water and energy perspective, and including the formulation of options for water and energy management and the financing of these options.
- A political economy analysis of water resources and the development of energy production in the basin.
Component 3: Strengthening the technical capacities of the VBA, Member States and other competent institutions in water resources management.
- The assignment of technical project teams for each project component. One or more technical teams, made up of representatives of the VBA (cross-border level), the Member State (national level) and/or the national water management organisation, will support the consultant in his activities.
- Training in the use of the tools developed as part of the project.
- Organisation of workshops to present the final results to the VBA, Member States and other stakeholders (ministries, water associations, etc.).
Long-term beneficiaries, based on the eventual development of the dam’s multi-purpose infrastructure,
In terms of agriculture: 160,000 producers will benefit directly.
Indirectly, agricultural production in the area under the dam’s influence, but also in the basin as a whole and beyond.
Electricity production of 303 GWh, which will benefit around 10 million people in the Volta basin area.
This access to electricity should benefit the 50% of the population who are women, by reducing the daily burdens they face.
Other socio-economic activities (fishing, aquaculture, livestock farming, ecotourism, etc.) linked to the presence of this dam will benefit women, young people and vulnerable people in particular, thereby helping to prevent rural exodus.
In particular, the availability of water for agricultural purposes will make it possible to increase and make more sustainable the income-generating activities that are often practised by women.
Finally, overall, the project will contribute to job creation (for example through ecotourism, which traditionally generates jobs for young people and women), economic growth and poverty reduction.
Ultimately, the development of a master plan and associated investment programme will provide a strategic planning reference tool for further investment in infrastructure in the short, medium and long term, which will continue to benefit the people of the Basin through improved access to energy and food, job creation through economic growth and overall water security for domestic use.