1. Water for life in Africa: Potential of Earth Observation for an Optimal Use Special Session on Water Management in Africa
Kamal LABBASSI Professor, CDU, Morocco, Secretary General of AARSE 13th-15th June, 2017 Sunyani, Ghana

2. Problem Identification on water issues
Water = LIFE
Scarcity >>>>> food security, and health
abundant >>>> disasters, deterioration of infrastructure.
Africa: water is one of the most endangered resources of the continent, while at the same time it represents one of the main critical elements for society, development and security.
Lack of water relevant information represents a critical drawback for African governments to completely understand the current status, to identify the problems and to set up adaptation and mitigation

3. Background
Africa is the world’s second-driest continent after Australia.
As one of the SDG, water is a crucial element in ensuring livelihoods
Climate Change >> major changes in rainfall, and extreme events of flood and drought.
For most African countries, policies and management decisions are often based on sparse and unreliable information, which is a major limitation for putting into practice IWRM plans.
IWRM strategies for:
increasing the number of people who have access to safe water and adequate sanitation,
ensuring food security by expanding available water resources for irrigation and
protecting society and economy by effectively managing the governance of water, including coping with droughts, floods and desertification.

4. Objectives
is to promote an exchange of ideas through discussions that included sharing of knowledge and experience,
to build upon the commonalities of approach different actors towards addressing integrated water resource management in the context of environmental / climate changes.
The outcome of the session will be a plan of action for the management of water resources in the African continent.

5. Key questions
1- How IWRM could contribute to address challenges and achieve water security in Africa, by implementing national stages of development and emphasized the need of coordination among various sectors.
2- What about the availability of data collection instruments and data sharing over Africa
3- How to integrate activities under AfriGEOSS?
4- Which relevant actions should be undertaken after symposium?

6. Expected outcomes
Identify critical issues and the role of EO in WRM in Africa.
Assess information needs and the potential benefits of EO and integrated information systems in the WRM.
Identify governance gaps in addressing WRM issues and requirements for information and strategies to improve the performance of the water sector.
Identify needs and opportunities for capacity building, and south-south cooperation.

7. Planned Activities: 2017
Establish coordination team (1 -2 per region )
Develop AfriGEOSS WRM concept document;
Develop inventory of on-going projects on water in Africa;
Develop inventory of water institutions / organizations in Africa;
Establish technical teams on specific tasks such as data for water; water-energy-food nexus; resource mapping etc.;
Raise awareness of stakeholders (national and regional water authorities and basins) on value of Earth Observation, AfriGEOSS and GEO activities.

8. Southern Africa and Indian Ocean
Coordination Team
REGION
NAME
ORGANISATION
COUNTRY
Northern Africa
Essifi, Bouajila
Institut des Régions Arides (IRA)
TUNISIA
Islam sabry
National Water Research Center
EGYPT
Eastern Africa
Raphael Tshimanga
Deputy Head of Research, Department of Natural Resources Management, University of Kinshasa
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Central Africa
Chrétien Ngouanet
Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation National Institute of Cartography
CAMEROUN
Western Africa
Amos Tiereyangn Kabo-Bah
University of Energy and Natural Ressources
GHANA
Yekini Anifowose
Federal University of Technology, AKURE
NIGERIA
Southern Africa and Indian Ocean
Evison Kapangaziwiri 
CSIR Natural Resources & the Environment
SOUTH AFRICA

9. THANK YOU