IVORY COAST JOINS UN WATER CONVENTION

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THE CONTEXT: Ivory Coast has recently joined the United Nations Water Convention, becoming the 10th African nation.

EXPLANATION:

• This move signals a growing commitment among African countries to enhance cooperative water management across borders in response to increasing water stress and the impacts of climate change.

Expansion of the UN Water Convention in Africa

• Sierra Leone, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are set to join the UN Water Convention in 2024, following the Ivory Coast’s lead.
• Ivory Coast’s accession brings the total number of parties to the Convention to 53.
• Initially established as a regional framework for the pan-European region in 1992, the Convention has expanded globally since 2016. Chad, Senegal, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, and Cameroon were the first African nations to accede. Nigeria, Namibia, and The Gambia joined in 2023.

Importance of Transboundary Water Management

• Ivory Coast shares eight transboundary river basins with six neighbouring countries: Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
• These include the Black Volta, Bia, Tanoe, Comoe, Niger, Sassandra, Cavally, and Nuon basins.
• The Niger River basin, which is the third-longest river in Africa at 4,200 kilometres, is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with studies predicting significant decreases in river flows.

Objectives and Impact of the UN Water Convention

• The UN Water Convention requires its parties to cooperate to sustain transboundary waters.
• For Ivory Coast, this is crucial given its high vulnerability to climate change and the uneven distribution of its water resources.
• The Convention aims to facilitate the necessary cooperation to manage shared river basins, address water scarcity, and meet the needs of its 30 million residents.

Water Insecurity Challenges

• Ivory Coast faces significant challenges related to water insecurity.
• The country’s population is growing by 2.5% annually, and its water supplies are threatened by urbanization, climate change effects such as droughts and floods, and pollution from industrial and agricultural activities.
• The UNECE, which services the UN Water Convention, highlights the uneven distribution of water resources, with the north and northeast experiencing severe water stress.

Strategic Importance for Africa

• The accession of Ivory Coast to the UN Water Convention is a milestone for Africa.
• The continent’s water resources have the potential to drive economic growth, secure livelihoods, and alleviate poverty.
• Transboundary water resources are especially critical, covering about 62% of the region’s land area and accounting for 90% of the total surface water.
• The Convention’s framework facilitates cooperation on surface water and groundwater, which is crucial for climate change adaptation.

Support for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• Ivory Coast’s accession supports the SDG 6 target of implementing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation by 2030.
• Currently, only 25% of Ivory Coast’s transboundary basin area is covered by operational arrangements, with no transboundary aquifers under such arrangements.
• The Convention aims to improve these statistics and foster harmonious and sustainable development.

Future Accessions and Regional Impact

• In addition to Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are in the final stages of joining the Convention.
• With only 7% of its transboundary basin area covered by operational arrangements, Sierra Leone has expressed its intention to accelerate its accession process.
• Zambia’s cabinet approved the accession, and the country is expected to join by October 2024.
• Zimbabwe has also confirmed its intention to accelerate its accession process, with significant developments expected before the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention in October 2024.

UN-Water Convention

• The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) is an international legal instrument and intergovernmental platform which aims to ensure the sustainable use of transboundary water resources.
• Initially negotiated as a regional instrument, it was opened globally to access all UN Member States in 2016.
• The Convention was initially established as a regional framework for the pan-European region.
• It was negotiated by the Member States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
• It was adopted in Helsinki in 1992 and entered into force in 1996.
• Since its global expansion to all UN Member States in 2016, Chad, Senegal, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Togo and Cameroon were the first African nations to accede.
• The Water Convention requires Parties to prevent, control and reduce transboundary impact, use transboundary waters reasonably and equitably, and ensure their sustainable management through cooperation.
• The Convention is a unique, legally binding instrument promoting the sustainable management of shared water resources.
• India is not a member of this Convention.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/africa/ivory-coast-joins-un-water-convention-as-10th-african-nation