Uganda is hosting the second Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Water Dialogue Forum which started on Tuesday January 25 in Entebbe and will be concluded tomorrow January 27.
It is running under the theme Groundwater for Resilience.
The forum which is organized by the IGAD Department of Agriculture and Environment is discussing the axis of groundwater for peace and stability, groundwater for climate change and resilience to drought, groundwater for social and economic development, innovation in groundwater financing and technological development, and capacity building in groundwater.
The ongoing dialogue has brought together Water Ministers, Experts and delegates from IGAD Member States of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda as well as development partners and other stakeholders will afford an opportunity for the IGAD member countries, stakeholders, the private sector and development partners to discuss groundwater and its role in the region’s sustainable development.
The Forum is projected to provide an opportunity for the support of the projects and programs related to running and planned water, and providing means for policy makers, technical experts, private sector actors and civil society organizations, and others to contribute to the development of the IGAD program for groundwater in line with the mandate and the overall strategy of the Authority, as well as presenting new investment opportunities and innovations in the development and management of groundwater.
The program of this Forum includes the participation of key speakers from the authority Member States, academic and research institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector, other regional economic groups, and the development partners with a training session for young professionals.
It should be recalled that the first Water forum was organized by the IGAD Inland Water Resources Department in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2014.
The Nairobi forum focused on the urgent need for regional cooperation in the management of water resources, and highlighted the need to enhance dialogue and understanding, increasing cooperation in all water management programs, engaging development partners in these initiatives as well as building consensus on regional water management.