To strengthen the network, validate its future directions, and establish a new strategic framework for the coming years, the African Network of Basin Organizations (ANBO) held its 9th Council (General Assembly) this Thursday in Dakar. This meeting, taking place from January 20 to 23, 2026, on the sidelines of the UN pre-conference on water, aims to present and assess ANBO's achievements since 2022 and outline future prospects; renew the network's decision-making bodies, including the presidency and the coordination office; and present, discuss, and adopt ANBO's new ten-year strategy (2026-2035), among other things.

This meeting provides a valuable opportunity for consultation, sharing experiences, and strategic reflection on the integrated and collaborative management of water resources on our continent. In this context, the Deputy High Commissioner of the OMVS, Mamadouba Max Bangoura, addressed the role of river basin organizations in the face of current challenges. “Africa is traversed by large river and lake basins, veritable lifelines for our populations, our economies, and our ecosystems. Yet, these vital resources are now subject to increasing pressures: climate change, hydrological variability, population growth, rapid urbanization, and ever-increasing energy and food needs,” he noted.

“Faced with these challenges, river basin organizations have a central role to play. They embody a shared vision of water as a factor in cooperation, peace, and sustainable development. In this regard, the RAOB has established itself over several years as an essential African platform, fostering mutual learning, capacity building, and solidarity between basins,” added Mamadouba Max Bangoura. He then noted that the OMVS is particularly committed to this dynamic.

“Beyond its recognized experience in the concerted management of transboundary water resources, the OMVS responsibly and committedly provides the permanent technical secretariat for the African Network of Basin Organizations. This mission reflects the trust placed in our organization and reinforces our determination to actively contribute to the animation, coordination and influence of the RAOB across the continent,” said the Deputy High Commissioner of the OMVS.

Present to preside over the statutory sessions of this general assembly on behalf of Minister Cheikh Tidiane Dièye, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Baboucar Moundor Ngom, emphasized the importance of cooperation and inclusive and participatory governance.

"Climate change, population pressure, socio-economic transformations and growing tensions around the multiple uses of water remind us, more and more each day, of the fragility of our river basins," stressed the representative of Minister Cheikh Tidiane Dièye.

Faced with these realities, Mr. Ngom argues that "the need for cooperation and inclusive, participatory governance is paramount." According to him, transboundary river basins, which shape a large part of Africa's hydrological geography, demand "shared responsibility and represent a unique opportunity to strengthen regional integration, stability, and sustainable development" on the African continent.

It is worth recalling that the African Network of Basin Organizations (ANBO) is a voluntary network (association) of basin organizations, lakes, and transboundary aquifers in Africa. It was established in July 2002 as an international non-profit organization for an indefinite period. Its secretariat is hosted by the Senegal River Basin Development Organization (OMVS) in Dakar.

It should also be recalled that the RAOB constitutes the technical arm of the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) in the field of transboundary water management, whose guidelines determine the strategic options of the network.