A Forum on “Defying Drought (D2)” concluded in Ouagadougou, bringing together policymakers from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and experts from Morocco and Brazil to address drought in West Africa amidst climate change and rapid population growth. A major outcome was a Memorandum of Understanding between the World Bank, Burkina Faso’s government, and the 2iE Institute to set up the Africa Water Center (AWC) in Ouagadougou, which will act as a regional hub for innovation, knowledge exchange, training, and coordinated water sector resilience. Over the last 50 years, extreme droughts in the Sahel have increased by more than 230%, threatening economic growth, livelihoods, and food security; some countries could see their growth drop by up to 6% annually by 2050 if no action is taken.

The roadmap developed at the forum outlines short-, medium-, and long-term policy steps like early warning systems, water allocation planning, institutional cooperation, and using climate-resilient practices to reduce drought risks and build resilience across the region.

Source: World Bank