Thirty Years Of Cooperation
In The Senegal River Basin:
A Success Story in Cooperative
River Basin Management
Ousmane DIONE
Senior Water Resources Specialist
The World Bank
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OVERVIEW
1. The Senegal River Basin: Some references
2. The Underpinning Factors for Crisis
3. History of Cooperation and Institutions
4. The enabling factors for cooperation
5. Key principles for cooperation
6. Sharing benefits from the Senegal River and
beyond
7. Lessons and experience
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“While steel and coal unified Europe, Africa should use
its international waters for the same purpose”
Alpha Oumar Konare
Pdt of the African Union
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1. The Senegal Basin References
• Basin area: 300,000 sq km
• River length: 1,800 km formed by three main
tributaries: Bafing, Bakoye and Faleme
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Annual discharge approx. 28 km3
Four (4) riparians: (Guinea, Mali, Mauritania
and Senegal) ranked among 20 poorest
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Population: 12 million in basin; 35 million in 4
countries;
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Development: Pour countries exposed to
serious shortages
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1. Senegal River Basin: Factors of Interdependence
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1. The
Senegal River Basin Organization
(OMVS):
OMVS, an experienced RBO
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Clear mandate, Vision with innovative tools;
Decentralized at national levels;
Associated with technical bodies (Permanent Water
Commission, Regional Steering Committee, and
Environment Observatory);
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Coupled with autonomous management entities;
Familiar with private sector involvement;
Even opened to stakeholders participation.
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2. The Underpinning Factors for Crisis
Natural and Man-made:
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Rainfall variability/droughts and floods;
Water scarcity and competing uses;
Environmental degradation (deforestation/erosion);
Communication/public awareness and outreach;
Inadequate land tenure (in the Valley);
Water weeds/Waterborne diseases in the Delta;
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2. The Underpinning Factors for Crisis
Countries Stakes
Mali
• Power and navigation;
Mauritania & Senegal
• Irrigation and food production + power;
Mali, Mauritania & Senegal
• Flow information – esp. since commissioning of Manantali;
• An awareness (involvement?) in future investments in river in
Guinea;
Guinea
• Hydropower potential at Senegal headwaters;
• Protection of upper watershed;
• Investments partners;
• Energy interconnection;
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3. History of Cooperation and Institutions
COOPERATION (based on shared views and objectives)
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1963: Bamako’s convention confers international status to the Senegal
River;
1968: First attempt of cooperation with the establishment OERS (all 4
countries). Political divergences failure;
1972: Convention of Nouakchott and creation of the OMVS (Mali,
Mauritania and Senegal) but not Guinea;
SIX PERMANENT ORGANS (with very clear roles and
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functions)
Conference of Head of States and Government (supreme decisions);
Council of Ministers (conception/control);
OMVS High Commission (execution of decisions and works);
Permanent water commission (PWC: water allocation)
Diama Dam Management Holding Company (SOGED);
Manantali Dam Management Holding Company (SOGEM).
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Summit of Heads of State
Council of Ministers
OMVS High Commission
Permanent Organs
(Planning, management and consultative)
OMVS
Mali
Local
Development
Committees
OMVS
Mauritania
OMVS
Senegal
4. Enabling Factors for Cooperation
Common history cemented by
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Cultural and linguistic links (same ethnic groups);
Colonial legacy introduced changes with more
homogeneity:
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Same official language;
Same institutional and legal heritage;
Social and economic unity
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Agriculture and livestock are dominant activities;
Free trade developed over centuries.
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5. Key Principles for Cooperation
Cooperation based on principles of Solidarity, Equality and
Equity:
Solidarity refers to:
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Common, Indivisible works and jointly owned
infrastructures (1978 convention);
Financing joint infrastructures (1982 convention)
Joint loans contracted for development purposes;
Joint guarantees to reimburse contracted loans and
interests;
Join management of common infrastructures and assets;
Equality means: All decisions are consensus based
Equity deals with:
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Fair allocation of water resources among sectors;
Proportional water allocation for irrigation;
Joint exploitation of hydroelectricity potential and shared
benefits;
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5. Key Principles for Cooperation (cont’d)
Strengths of cooperation: Political legitimacy
• Agreements and conventions are signed and ratified by
either the Council of Ministers or the Heads of States
Conference;
• Agreements and conventions take into account good
neighborliness and impacts;
• Regional integration always seen as element for stability
and peace;
Challenges of cooperation
• Ceding sovereign interests in favor of larger community
interests;
• Balancing water priorities between sectors;
• Environmental standards and enforcement not fully
defined and addressed.
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5. Key Principles for Cooperation (cont’d)
Cooperation based on bundling legal instruments:
 1972: Convention of Nouakchott and creation of the OMVS
(Mali, Mauritania and Senegal) but not Guinea;
 1972: Convention on the international status of the Senegal
River;
 1978: Convention of Bamako on the legal status of the
common works (common indivisible property);
 1982: Convention on Financing joint infrastructures;
 1992: Protocol of accord signed between OMVS&Guinea;
 2002: Adoption of the Senegal River Water Charter;
 2004: Preparation of the Inclusive framework of
the SRB;
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6. Concrete Achievements
1972-80: OMVS development program (irrigation; hydropower;
navigation);
1984:
Joint loan from 12 donors to build dams: Manantali (in
Mali) and the Diama (Senegal/Mauritania border);
1986:
Diama dam operational (blocking salt water intrusion) with
an ambitious irrigation program (375 000 ha);
1997:
Manantali hydropower dam completed (800 GWH);
2000:
Joint dams management bodies established (SOGEDSOGEM)
2002:
Jointly owned Power transmission lines connecting the three
countries;
Private operator (ESKOM, SA) contracted to dispatch the
energy produced to national power grids;
First basin wide environmental project (four riparian
countries included)
2002:
2004:
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6. Concrete Benefits: From the Senegal
River
River flow regulation at 300 m3 all over the year enables:
• An irrigation potential of 375,000 ha from Manantali
dam;
• Long term solution for Dakar critical water supply need
(1.3 million people in Dakar are now supplied from the
Senegal River);
• Adequate response to Nouakchott water supply shortage
(on going water connection project from the Senegal
River);
• Groundwater recharge and ecosystems restoration;
• River navigation over 900 km from St-Louis (Atlantic
Ocean) to Kayes (Mali).
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6. Concrete Benefits: Beyond the Senegal River
Jointly owned 1500 km power transmission lines connecting
the three riparian countries power grids from Manantali
dam (first WAPP segment):
Hydropower share is based on critical needs:
• Mali (104 MW or 52%)
• Mauritania (30 MW or 15%
• Senegal (66 MW or 33%)
An optic fiber combined with the transmission lines enables:
• Increased telecommunications capacity (30,200
connections), 48 TV channels;
• Senegal telecommunication network entirely digital;
• Mali and Mauritania linked to the international network;
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6. Beyond the River:
Catalyst for Peace and Regional Stability
Jointly owned infrastructures act as catalyst for peace:
• Diama dam contributed to diffuse the 1989 tension between
Senegal and Mauritania;
Regional stability enhanced through cooperative framework:
• Though in 1989 diplomatic ties were broken, OMVS still
functioning as the only viable link between Senegal and
Mauritania;
Mutual confidence and broad bundled benefits foster regional
integration by:
• Opening new development opportunities (inter-countries
road segments, joint privatization of the Dakar-Bamako
railroads, lift of trade barriers, joint environmental
actions…);
• But some benefits are less obvious than others
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7. Some Lessons Learned
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Political will is a key for ownership;
Invest in trust and relationship is critical at earlier stage;
Commitment and trust must overcome unilateral approach;
Common vision is crucial to move forward;
Win/win benefits must clearly be perceived to remove
win/lose perceptions;
Perception of fairness essential to sustain cooperation;
Technical preparation is key to understanding the global
scope and critical issues;
Donors support is important but “no foot print” is essential;
Rivers can be obstacles or entry points – both directly and
beyond the river;
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From River cooperation to Regional integration
“If only West Africa was a single country.
Then, perhaps, we would stand a chance.”
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Still, Africa’s
international
rivers
challenge:
•60+ international
rivers
•many countries
per basin
•many basins per
country
•international
relations challenge
Thank You