Water, climate and sovereignty: Senegal is counting on a global alliance to secure its water future

Faced with the intensifying effects of climate change, increasing pressure on natural resources, and the risk of water scarcity, Senegal intends to strengthen its commitment on the international stage. The National Assembly is working on the draft law authorizing the President of the Republic to ratify the Constitutive Charter of the Global Water Organization (GWO), signed on May 28, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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The text has already received the approval of an inter-committee group comprising the committees on foreign affairs, sustainable development, and rural development. Meeting with the Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs, and Senegalese Abroad, Cheikh Niang, the members of parliament unanimously recommended its adoption in plenary session.

For the government, this commitment goes beyond mere diplomacy. Water is now central to development, food security, social stability, and ecosystem preservation. In a context marked by droughts, recurring floods, and the degradation of aquatic environments, states are called upon to strengthen their cooperation in order to provide common responses to challenges that know no borders.

This is precisely the ambition of the World Water Organization. This new international institution aims to coordinate global initiatives in the water sector, promote best practices, support research and innovation, and also facilitate access to financing for water infrastructure and climate resilience projects.

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For Senegal, membership also represents an opportunity to showcase internationally recognized expertise. Thanks to its experience within the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS) and the Organization for the Development of the Gambia River (OMVG), the country has built a reputation as a model in the concerted management of transboundary water resources.

During the debates, however, parliamentarians raised several concerns. In particular, they questioned the government about the guarantees offered regarding national sovereignty over water resources, the mechanisms for preventing conflicts related to transboundary basins, and the concrete benefits that populations could derive from this membership.

The issue of funding also featured prominently in the discussions. Members of Parliament stressed the need to ensure transparency in the management of Senegal's financial contributions and to receive regular updates on the projects supported by the organization.

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In response, Minister Cheikh Niang noted that Senegal is among the founding members of the Global Water Partnership (GWO), alongside Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Spain, Greece, Pakistan, and Mauritania. He emphasized Dakar's pioneering role in water diplomacy, recalling that Senegal was the first country to place the issue of "Water, Peace and Security" on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council.

According to him, the future organization will focus its efforts on several strategic priorities, including seawater desalination, wastewater reuse, reducing losses in hydraulic networks, developing early warning systems and strengthening agricultural resilience to climate change.

Another argument put forward by the authorities is that the organization's operations will be entirely funded by Saudi Arabia for the first five years. This provision should allow member states to focus on implementing projects and defining strategic directions.