Success: The Mono river (Togo, Benin) now has a 'River Basin Authority'
Signed by ministers of Togo and Benin, the transboundary Mono River will now have an institutional structure to discuss the management of this basin: the Mono River Basin Authority (MBA). Based on our Negotiated Approach, our partner JVE has from the start successfully engaged in the set up of this authority, advocating for the inclusion of all stakeholders in the future decision-making processes of the MBA.
Formation
A variety of authorities contributed to the formation of the MBA: the Minister of Environment of Benin, Raphael Edou; the Minister of Agricultural Equipment of Togo Bissoune Nabagou; the Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water of ECOWAS, as well as the directors of the Niger and Volta Basin Organisations. JVE has been the only civil society organization to be involved in the negotiation meetings.
Action plan
The ministers have signed the treaty, a plan of action, the budget and logistical support for the administration. The office of the MBA will likely be situated in Benin. The catchment area of the Mono River includes parts of Togo and Benin. The river is 148 kilometers long and covers about 25 thousand square kilometers.
Implementation
Now the MBA is officially set up, the key challenge is to ensure it will actually implement its expressed commitment to ensure pro-active inclusion of all stakeholders, so these stakeholders have a say in how water in the river is used and distributed, and how key challenges will be addressed. Think of preventing pollution, maintaining biodiversity and securing a fair share of water to be used by the poor fishermen, pastoralists and farmers. JVE, with Both ENDS support, will monitor the developments closely to ensure the Negotiated Approach can become a reality in the Mono River Basin.
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