July 2012 - The Kenya Rainwater Association (KRA) received € 690,000 grant to mainstream rainwater harvesting and management (RHM) in response to rural development challenges posed by climate change in drought prone regions of Kenya.
May 2012 - The Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO, the technical arm of the Nile Basin Initiative, received a € 2 million grant for a development study to support investment efforts to finance the Baro-Akobo-Sobat development programme. The region holds tremendous potential for the cooperative development of water resources, if enhanced, promises significant socio-economic impacts that can reduce poverty.
April 2012 - The Government of Cape Verde has received a € 1.4 million grant to finance a study that will look at ways to better mobilise and store surface water resources through the construction of dams. The grant will also be used to strengthen the legal framework for integrated water resources management. This will help Cape Verde deal with increased water pressure on the groundwater resources, and build water security for all uses.
January 2012 – The Government of Sudan received a € 3.3 million grant to finance the preparation of bankable investment plans to leverage the US $100 million in financing required to meet the medium and longer term water and sanitation needs of the inhabitants in 15 to 20 small rural towns in Darfur, as well as neighbouring pastoralists and nomadic peoples.
August 2011- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) received a € 411,000 grant for a study to establish a regional water observatory to contribute the improvement of water sector performance. The observatory would help strengthen political will on common water management policy amongst ECOWAS member countries, and promote the convergence of national policy outlook and strategy framework to facilitate joint action on transboundary water resources management.
Photo courtesy of Nasa
May 2011 – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) received a € 1.7 million grant to undertake a study to improve knowledge on navigable waterways of the Shire-Zambezi for their reopening. This joint action between Malawi and Mozambique will improve information exchange and promote joint project planning and investment. The reopening of the waterways could increase the volume of transport of goods, trade and the exchange of services.