At the recent IUCN Assembly, Dr. Saliou Ndoye, President of G2P Africa and recognized expert in climate finance, took part in a high-level panel dedicated to “Integrated Management of Transboundary Water Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa: Issues, Current and Future Dynamics”.
His intervention left a strong impression with a powerful call to rethink how Africa approaches the financing of transboundary IWRM (Integrated Water Resources Management).
Viewing water as capital, not as aid
For Dr. Ndoye, a paradigm shift is urgent: “We must consider our transboundary water resources not as needs to be subsidized, but as strategic natural capital.”
This approach invites African states and technical and financial partners to move from an aid mindset to an investment mindset, where sustainable valorization of river basins becomes a driver of cooperation, resilience, and shared growth.
Levers of climate finance for transboundary IWRM
In his speech, the President of G2P emphasized that mobilizing climate finance for IWRM relies on several key levers:
- Integrating the water-climate dimension into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs);
- Developing bankable regional projects focused on climate resilience, shared governance, and ecosystem preservation;
- Institutional cooperation among riparian states to build strong transboundary governance frameworks, a prerequisite for access to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Adaptation Fund.
Towards improved effectiveness in fund mobilization
To enhance mobilization effectiveness, Dr. Ndoye recommended:
- strengthening the capacities of Basin Authorities and national institutions on climate finance procedures;
- institutionalizing regional cooperation on water management;
- and accelerating the technical preparation of concept notes and funding requests through effective collaborative platforms.
A vision championed by G2P Africa
By positioning integrated water resources management as a structuring investment for Africa’s future, Dr. Ndoye extends G2P’s vision: to make climate finance a lever for sustainable and sovereign transformation of the continent.
“Our rivers, aquifers, and transboundary basins are not just shared resources; they are assets with ecological, economic, and social value. Africa must become the majority stakeholder.”
— Dr. Saliou Ndoye, President of G2P Africa
