West Africa is strengthening regional cooperation through hydro-diplomacy as governments and regional organizations work to address growing challenges related to water security, climate change, and the sustainable management of shared water resources. Experts say stronger cooperation across transboundary river basins will be essential to meeting rising water demand while preventing resource-related tensions.
The region is experiencing rapid population growth, with the United Nations projecting that West Africa’s population could double by 2050. This growth is expected to significantly increase demand for drinking water, irrigated agriculture, energy production, and industrial development. At the same time, climate change is altering rainfall patterns, increasing the frequency of droughts and floods, and placing additional pressure on rivers and groundwater resources.
Environmental changes, including deforestation, agricultural expansion, and land degradation, have further affected hydrological systems by increasing soil erosion and sedimentation. These combined pressures have heightened the need for coordinated management of the region’s numerous transboundary rivers and aquifers that are shared by multiple countries.
Regional experts identify several key challenges to effective water cooperation, including increasing demand for limited water resources, climate-related disruptions to river systems, limited institutional and financial capacity, and unequal access to hydrological data among countries. They emphasize that transparent information sharing and stronger diplomatic cooperation are essential for reducing potential tensions and improving long-term water security.
Hydro-diplomacy has emerged as a central tool for promoting peaceful cooperation over shared water resources. Through transboundary basin organizations, regional agreements, shared hydrological data systems, and policy coordination, West African countries are working together to manage river basins sustainably while supporting food security, energy production, climate adaptation, and ecosystem conservation.
Experts also highlight the growing importance of Afro-centred Hydro-Diplomacy (ACHD), an approach that recognizes African river basins as interconnected socio-ecological systems rather than focusing solely on water allocation. The framework promotes regional solidarity, community participation, traditional knowledge, scientific cooperation, and evidence-based policymaking to strengthen water governance and prevent hydro-political tensions.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is further advancing regional collaboration through the establishment of the West African Regional Water Forum (FREAO). The forum will serve as a regular platform for governments, researchers, development partners, and civil society to exchange knowledge, strengthen public policies, and promote innovation in water resource management and sanitation. The inaugural forum is scheduled to take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on 25–26 September 2026 under the theme “Valuing Water to Transform West Africa.”
Regional water governance has also benefited from the Building River Dialogue and Governance (BRIDGE) initiative, launched by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2011 with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Over the past decade, the programme has strengthened transboundary water governance, improved the capacity of river basin organizations, promoted integrated water resources management, and increased the participation of women and young people in water-related decision-making.
As climate pressures intensify and demand for water continues to grow, regional institutions view hydro-diplomacy as a strategic mechanism for transforming shared water resources into opportunities for cooperation, sustainable development, and long-term peace across West Africa.
