OUAGADOUGOU, September 30, 2025 - A two-day High-Level Forum on Defying Drought (D2) in West Africa concluded today in Ouagadougou with a strong commitment to address the pressing challenges of drought in the region, amid the broader context of climate change and population growth. Senior policymakers from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal, joined by technical experts from Morocco and Brazil, as well as regional and international institutions and development partners, came together to advance coordinated and practical solutions to reduce drought-related losses and build climate resilience across the Sahel. Technical sessions showcased regional and global best practices and facilitated the co-design of a roadmap outlining short-, medium-, and long-term policy actions to strengthen drought resilience across West Africa.
A key highlight of the Forum was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the World Bank Group, the Government of Burkina Faso, and the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), to establish the Africa Water Center (AWC). Hosted at the 2iE in Ouagadougou, the AWC will serve as a regional hub for innovation, partnership, knowledge exchange, and capacity building in the water sector.
Climate pressures are intensifying across West Africa. Population growth and declining per capita water resources are straining supply-demand balances, while drought risk is rising alongside floods and heatwaves. Over the five decades, extreme drought conditions have increased by more than 230 percent, with disproportionate impacts on growth in developing economies. In some Sahelian countries, these pressures could reduce annual growth by up to six percent by 2050. In this context, the AWC will convene partners, consolidate technical expertise, and deliver training to help institutions operationalize early warning, strengthen water planning and allocation, and coordinate drought management, complementing country programs and regional initiatives.
QUOTES:
Dr Aboubakar Nacanbo, Minister of Economy and Finance, Burkina Faso. "Our Sahelian region has always endured the harshness of drought. More than an environmental challenge, drought is a threat to economic and social stability that weighs on our public finances, our infrastructure, the health of our populations, and inevitably, on peace. It is together-through solidarity, innovation, and cooperation-that we can transform it into a lever of opportunity for our people. We welcome the creation of the AWC, right here in Ouagadougou, a center destined to become a beacon of excellence and innovation for sustainable water management and South-South cooperation."
Professor El Hadji Bamba Diaw, Director General, 2iE. "The Africa of tomorrow will be built with the solutions we put in place today. The establishment of the AWC marks a decisive milestone in our collective commitment to equip the continent with a true strategic tool, a lever for cooperation, a driver of socio-economic development, and a pillar of social peace. The Center will be a true hub of scientific and technical excellence, a premier space for the production and transmission of knowledge, where academic expertise, technological innovations, and practical solutions tailored to African realities will converge, all in service of territorial resilience and the structural transformation of our economies."
Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa. "Drought knows no borders. To defy it, we must act on three fronts: knowledge for better anticipation, through reliable data and effective early warning systems; regional cooperation, because no country can face it alone; and action, with determination, to implement concrete solutions. By combining knowledge, cooperation, and action, we can transform the threat of drought into an opportunity to strengthen our societies, our agriculture, and our economies. The AWC offers a unique opportunity to tackle major water-related challenges in our region."
Juergen Voegele, World Bank Vice President for the Planet Vertical. "Water-dependent sectors support 1.7 billion jobs worldwide. When water flows reliably, economies grow; when it doesn't, opportunities disappear. Building resilience to drought is essential not only for the Sahel, but for communities everywhere facing water scarcity. Knowledge and innovation generated through this initiative will help regions across the globe turn vulnerability into strength; driving job creation, economic growth, and a more water-secure future for all."
Convened by the World Bank Group in partnership with the Government of Burkina Faso, and the 2iE institute, the Forum is the first activity under the World Bank Group Academy's Impact Program Defying Drought (D2), which catalyzes the scale-up and adoption of drought-resilience measures.
