Africa Community

Hello everyone!
What a pleasure to be part of this inspiring community!
I'm Dieudonne Ilboudo, a water and environment specialist currently working at the General Office of Agropastoral Development and Irrigation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animals and Fisheries Resources of Burkina Faso.
My work focuses on sustainable water resource management, soil conservation, land reclamation, and environmental preservation. I have over four years of experience in community projects promoting climate change adaptation, integrated water resource management, and the development of rice-growing lowlands.
I recently led initiatives on the management of invasive aquatic plants, transforming them into valuable resources such as compost and biochar to support local agriculture and the circular economy. I am passionate about drought resilience (Zai and Half-Moon Techniques) and ethical, inclusive, and innovative approaches to natural resource governance, and I strive to integrate local knowledge and community participation into all aspects of my work.
I look forward to learning, collaborating, and contributing to this dynamic network !

Hello!

It's a pleasure to be joining this community! I'm Liz Mwangi, an environmental social scientist with experience working at the intersection of gender, climate justice, and conservation across Eastern and Southern Africa. My research interests emphasize participatory, community-centered approaches to ecosystem management and well-being. Most recently I completed an MPhil in Environmental Humanities, with my research focusing on drought adaptation for agropastoral communities in Northern Kenya.

I'd also love to share with you my recent policy paper publication for drought practitioners working at the intersection of gender and agropastoral communities.

📍https://droughtclp.unccd.int/blog/mainstreaming-gender-drought-manageme…

I look forward to engaging and interacting more on this channel.

Liz Mwangi.

📸 Capture the solutions that inspire change!
The UNCCD and GWP have launched a global photo competition at UNCCD COP 16 in December 2024 in Riyadh to highlight powerful solutions to drought and water scarcity.
From nature-based solutions to technological innovations, we’re looking for impactful images that showcase how communities and ecosystems build resilience to drought.
🏆 Finalists will have their work exhibited at UNCCD Headquarters in Bonn during the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on June 17, 2025.
💰 Winners in each category will receive a $500 gift card from the International Center of Photography or Fotografiska Museum.
⏳ Don’t miss the submission deadline: March 31, 2025!
📢 Winners will be announced in May 2025.
🔗 Submit your entry today and let your photos inspire action! https://droughtclp.unccd.int/photo-competition

Check out the first episode of the UNCCCD CLPs Interview Series featuring Bongani Masuku , Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture of Eswatini!

https://youtu.be/VUyc3xX-QqQ?si=F_Y5Ll3jd3uDX--A

What value does water have to Tanzania’s economy?

Original source is GWP, web link here: https://www.gwp.org/en/About/more/news/2024/what-value-does-water-have-…

Have you ever wondered about the economic value of water to a country? The Ministry of Water of Tanzania, the Wami Ruvu Basin Water Board and GWP, with support from the SDG 6 IWRM Support Programme, have provided a preliminary answer to that question for Tanzania: 3.31%, in just three sectors.
The results of this detailed analysis were launched at a high-level hybrid event on 31 October 2024, connecting dozens of interested stakeholders in the Ministry of Water, in Dodoma, with many more online participants.

Held upon invitation from the Minister of Water of Tanzania, H.E. Jumaa Hamidu Aweso, and moderated by GWP’s CEO and Executive Secretary, Alan AtKisson, the event brought together panellists from the Ministry of Water, the Development Partners Group on WASH, FAO’s regional office for Africa, the Secretariat of the African Union Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) and the Valuing Water Initiative, to delve into the findings of the report.

Covering the value of water for three important sectors for Tanzania’s economy, namely agriculture, manufacturing and mining, the publication makes a strong case for why water is undervalued in financial terms compared to the significant economic value it brings to the country. Indeed, Dr George Lugomela, Director for Water Resources at the Ministry of Water, stated that this report is part of Tanzania’s efforts to introduce better water pricing mechanisms that reflect the true value of water, and hoped that the study could ultimately lead to better water financing models.

Shamiso Kumbirai, of GWP Southern Africa, and the Secretariat of the AIP, noted that Tanzania has been a leader in the continent on this topic, which is aligned with the findings of the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa, which is aiming to raise at least US$30 billion per year by 2030 to reach the water-related SDGs at the continental level. She highlighted that the economic value at risk from not investing in water normally dwarfs the actual budgetary allocation for water, highlighting that the value at risk is often not quantified.

In his closing remarks, Joakim Harlin, representing the United Nations Environment Programme, congratulated Tanzania on its efforts to put an economic value on water, but also encouraged stakeholders to look beyond the economic value of water, considering the different values that water brings to stakeholders, including for freshwater ecosystems, who are a stakeholder often without a voice. He stated the support of UNEP and of the SDG 6 IWRM Support Programme to Tanzania for the next steps in this journey, and to other countries interested in replicating this experience.