Joint infrastructure and the sharing of benefits in the Senegal and Niger watersheds

ABSTRACT

Riparian states of the Senegal and Niger watersheds have developed specific techniques for the management of water infrastructure. A common feature in both watersheds is the sharing of benefits from water facilities. Niger River basin states are still at the beginning of a shared vision process for jointly managed infrastructure and equitable benefit sharing, while Senegal River basin states have led the way in innovative forms of shared ownership and governance. Environmental protection and public participation are increasingly included in the development of joint infrastructure, but more could be done to strengthen these aspects of river governance.

KEYWORDS:

• Niger river
• Senegal river
• benefit sharing
• dams
• joint infrastructure

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank the team of the Platform for International Water Law and the Geneva Water Hub of the University of Geneva for their insights into the legal and institutional frameworks governing the Senegal and Niger basins. This article benefited from the results of a roundtable expert meeting on Cooperation and Benefit-Sharing in the Senegal and Niger River Basins held at the World Meteorological Organization in September 2015.

Notes

1. Details of all statutory references are listed in the Appendix.

2. Organisation des états riverains du bassin du fleuve Sénégal (OERS).

3. Organisation pour la mise en valeur du fleuve Sénégal (OMVS).

4. The other two aspects are (1) protection of resources and ecosystems, and (2) capacity building of actors and involvement of those actors in integrated water resources management.