DURAGIRE Integrated Water Management Programme for the Oueme Delta

Programme Objective

The general objective of the DURAGIRE programme is to ensure the sustainability of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) results of the OmiDelta programme, particularly those relating to community actions for IWRM implemented by non-state actors and to continue the implementation of community IWRM in order to increase their positive impacts on the populations of the Ouãmã delta.

The four trajectories are:
1. IWRM capacity and regulatory frameworks
2. Functionality of Local Water Committees (CLE) and common commitments;
3. Financial, Institutional, Environmental, Technical and Social (FIETS) sustainability of IWRM actions;
4. Strengthening the integrated Early Warning System (EWS)

The first trajectory builds capacity at national and basin level, and provides the basis for the formalisation of IWRM bodies at local level (CLE). The second trajectory focuses on CLEs and their sustainable organisational development, including improving equity in representation. The third trajectory focuses on the various existing and new water-related investments to ensure sustainable management and models. These investments will be made at different levels, at CLE level and at community level. The fourth trajectory focuses on the integration of national and community flood early warning systems, to further professionalise them as integrated and sustainable systems. Together, they will contribute to community resilience not only in terms of better understanding and management of the water system, but also in terms of resilience to the effects of climate change.

The expected results of the project are as follows: Improved resilience of communities in the Ouémé basin to water-related risks, caused by the effects of seasonal rainfall and exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, through increased sustainability of the OmiDelta programme’s IWRM interventions.

Long-term results:

1. The institutional fabric of IWRM is strengthened at national level and at the level of the Ouémé basin, enabling better operationalisation of IWRM.
2. IWRM bodies at local level (CLE) are strengthened in terms of their functioning and their roles and enable better operationalisation of IWRM at local level.
3. Improved investment and upkeep/maintenance of existing and new community IWRM actions increases their sustainability.
4. The data and information system for the national EWS is innovative and strengthened down to community level for more sustainable, effective and accessible flood prevention.

• Build the capacity of IWRM bodies at local level on their functioning and their roles in IWRM
• Facilitate the participation of the population in CLE processes
• Supporting local authorities in assuming their role in IWRM (e.g. contingency plan, organisational strengthening, etc.) in a sustainable way
• Strengthening the ANCB, decentralised State services and local associations in supporting communes in IWRM
• Leading benchmarking cycles via the ANCB’s water committee
• Support for the identification of new IWRM actions supporting the population’s resilience to flooding and promoting the economic development of water resources, and an inventory of pilot IWRM actions
• Development of Community IWRM actions (new and old)
• Support for Communes and CLEs in mobilising resources to finance IWRM actions
• Implementation of Community IWRM actions (new and old Community IWRM actions)
• Enhancing the value of water-related ecosystem products by building the capacity of economic players linked to water and related ecosystems
• Expanding the network of beacons and testing new beacons in vulnerable areas not yet covered
• Setting up new PL/RRC-ACC in vulnerable areas not yet covered by SAP-C
• Development of a concerted Community EWS model based on the local experiences of the various stakeholders
• Organisation of a serious game/flood simulation
• Synergies with stakeholders.