The morning sun cast long shadows across the conference room in Accra as delegates from across West Africa gathered for what would become a pivotal moment in the region’s fight against water insecurity. Dr. Olufunke Cofie adjusted her notes one final time, knowing that the agreements about to be signed would ripple across fifteen nations and potentially transform millions of lives.
For months, the halls of the International Water Management Institute had buzzed with preparations. From IWMI’s headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to its fifteen country offices spanning the globe, the research-for-development organisation had been mobilising its network of scientists operating in more than fifty-five countries. Climate data showed increasingly erratic rainfall patterns across the Sahel. The challenges were transboundary, and so too would be the solutions.
IWMI’s unique position as a CGIAR Research Centre had enabled it to work closely with governments, civil society, and the private sector across the developing world. Their approach—combining cutting-edge research on sustainable water and land resources with knowledge services, capacity strengthening, and policy analysis—had proven essential in scaling up water management solutions from laboratory to landscape, and in influencing water policy frameworks across Africa and Asia.
The first partnership brought together IWMI and the Economic Community of West African States Commission—a five-year commitment that represented years of careful negotiation and shared vision. Kouassi Kouakou Alexis had traveled from the ECOWAS Water Resources Management Centre with a clear mission: to finally address the complex web of rivers, aquifers, and watersheds that crossed political boundaries but respected no borders.
“We’ve spent too long treating water as a national issue when rivers don’t carry passports,” Alexis had told his team before the journey. The digital tools for drought and flood forecasting they would co-develop with IWMI could mean the difference between preparedness and catastrophe for communities from Cape Verde to Chad.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Sahr E Juanah had made his own journey from Sierra Leone, carrying with him the hopes of a nation still rebuilding its water infrastructure. The National Water Resources Management Agency(NWRMA) he represented faced challenges that seemed insurmountable—from coastal flooding in Freetown to water scarcity in the interior highlands. The second partnership being formalised that day offered a lifeline: five years of collaboration with IWMI focused on early warning systems and climate-smart water management tools.
As the ceremony began on Monday, May 19, 2025, the weight of the moment settled over the assembled delegates. Board members from IWMI sat alongside regional stakeholders, each understanding that they were witnessing the birth of something larger than individual agreements. These Memoranda of Understanding represented a new model of cooperation—one where science transcended politics and shared challenges demanded shared solutions.
Dr. Cofie rose to address the gathering, her voice carrying the conviction of someone who had spent years studying water systems across Africa. “These partnerships signal a shared regional commitment to science-driven, inclusive water governance,” she explained, gesturing toward the documents that would soon bear official signatures. “By aligning efforts, we can tackle climate risks, advance food and water security, and drive meaningful impact across the region.”
The partnerships aligned perfectly with IWMI’s ambitious West and Central Africa Roadmap 2024–2030, a comprehensive strategy that had emerged from countless consultations with farmers, policymakers, and communities across the region. The roadmap’s priorities read like a manifesto for transformation: resilient agrifood systems, climate-risk reduction, digital innovation, and social inclusion.
As Alexis added his signature to the ECOWAS agreement, he reflected on the journey ahead. “It is great for us to have this kind of support from IWMI to do our best for the ECOWAS community,” he said, his words carrying the enthusiasm of someone who had long advocated for regional cooperation. “Let us continue to work together to have a concrete impact on our populations through water management in the region.”
The Sierra Leone agreement followed, with Juanah’s signature marking his nation’s commitment to the partnership. His words were measured but hopeful: “Sierra Leone has many water challenges and when looking for partnerships to solve this problem, there is no better organisation than IWMI. This is just the start of a long journey, however, with unity and determination we believe we can achieve our goals.”
As the ceremony concluded and delegates began to disperse, the real work was only beginning. Earth observation satellites would soon be tracking rainfall patterns across the region, feeding data into new forecasting systems. Knowledge-sharing platforms would connect researchers in Dakar with farmers in rural Ghana. Biodiversity conservation efforts would be woven into agrifood system planning, recognising that water security and environmental health were inseparable.
The partnerships represented more than institutional agreements—they embodied a recognition that the region’s most pressing challenges required collective action. Water scarcity, climate variability, and rural poverty knew no borders, and neither would the solutions. In conference rooms and research stations, in villages and cities across West Africa and the Sahel, the work of building climate resilience would now proceed with unprecedented coordination and shared purpose.
The signing ceremony in Accra had lasted only hours, but its implications would unfold over years, touching lives from the Atlantic coast to the edge of the Sahara, wherever communities struggled with the fundamental challenge of securing clean, reliable water in an era of climate change.
