A Transboundary Ecosystem of the Sena Oura/Bouba Ndjida Platform has been launched in Cameroon.
A national workshop for the Implementation of the platform held in Yaounde Thursday September 5, 2024.
According to the coordinator of the project, the NB-ITTAS supports the establishment of the trans-boundary platform which is geared at “ improving the management, governance and conservation of natural resources based on knowledge of the Niger Basin aquifer systems of the NB-ITTAS region”, he said.
The Director of the Department of Regional and Border Areas Development (DATMZF) at the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Regional Development (MINEPAT), Guy Debok Nghemning, chaired the session.
The resources in this region is shared between two countries,Cameroon, Nigeria according to the National President / Coordinator of the associations of users of natural resources of the Niger Basin, MOUSSA KOUE.
Further, the mayor of Touboro welcomes the presence of local actors in the project where the state was hitherto the only single link.
Security arrangements will also be made with the creation of a specialized commission, according to the participants.
It should be recalled that the consultations opened in March 2021 with the study of setting up the governance structures of these platforms which was validated in March 2022.
The Yaoundé workshop is therefore the culmination of this. It involves sub-regional, national, local and community organizations/structures directly or indirectly concerned with the governance of the transboundary ecosystem of the Sena Oura / Bouba Ndjida transboundary binational complex in Cameroon.
The NB-ITTAS project spans 11 countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Algeria, and Mauritania. Its aim is to enhance the management, governance, and conservation of resources based on knowledge of the Niger Basin and associated aquifer systems.
Key Expected Outcomes include enhancing governance, improving understanding of groundwater resources and their connections to surface water.
Involvement of Niger Basin user associations and NGOs in resource management and conservation as well as instituting a structured method to mitigate environmental issues, including pollution and biodiversity loss. It also involves strengthening policies for the sustainable management of the Niger River ecosystem.
The global objective accordingly is to establish a national platform for the trans-boundary ecosystem of the Sena Oura/Bouba Ndjida complex in Cameroon.
Different stakeholder categories were selected to serve on the platform, guided by previous discussions involving key regional and national actors. Participants will include sub-regional, national, and local organizations, as well as community structures involved in the governance of the Sena Oura/Bouba Ndjida transboundary ecosystem.
This initiative accordingly aims to foster cooperation and enhance capacities to address current challenges in the management of transboundary ecosystems, ultimately promoting sustainable development in the region.
