272
C. Faye et al.
conservation, development of hydraulic infrastructures, management of risk, and
environmental preservation, particularly in sensitive and fragile areas.
Senegal has also developed new guidelines, commonly known as National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), in coordination with the 16th Conference of the Parties on Climate
Change (COP16), held in 2010 in Mexico. Thus, adaptation to climate change has
been integrated into water resource planning in the medium and long term. Good
water policy in Senegal is also based on promoting the active contributions of stakeholders in the design, implementation and management of water resource programs
and projects.
Although Senegal has a sufficient supply of water during the rainy season, poor
geographical distribution and high rainfall variability as well as inadequate management, lead to water scarcity in some areas. Thus, in spite of significant advances,
water availability remains uncertain for areas facing quality problems (fluoride, water
pollution), supply challenges (overexploitation of aquifers) and access, because of the
very high cost of resource mobilization. Compounding these difficulties are insufficient budgets for the water sector. Regulation and enforcement are not consistently coordinated among ministries, and there has been inadequate investment in
storage infrastructure due to recurring droughts and floods. These needs have been
shortchanged because water resource management tends not to prioritize freshwater
security in the climate change context.
In Senegal, water monitoring is mainly the responsibility of the Directorate of
Water Resources Management and Planning (DGPRE) in collaboration with other
national entities. However, water management in Senegal is implemented at the sector
level, which limits the development of a comprehensive national water resource
management strategy. Many different national authorities oversee various aspects of
water management, such as policy, law creation and enforcement, delivery of services
and consumption (Chitambi 2017). Thus institutional arrangements can be unclear
and/or conflicting.
The number and cross-cutting nature of various authoritative entities creates
dysfunction and therefore serves as a major constraint for freshwater safety. A big
issue is the fragmentation of skills and lack of coordination among organizations
responsible for implementing policies in Senegal and the other countries that share
its basins, as well as questions of authority within and between countries and duplication of effort. Jointly, this fragmentation has undermined sustainable livelihoods
(Murenga 2003) and driven economic, social and ecological costs to human societies
and to the environment (Kouam-Kenmogne et al. 2006). At the same time, a certain
level of redundancy has advantages in assessing natural land surface waters and integrating water resource management at the national level. In addition, Senegal must
strengthen regional cooperation on water resource management as well as improve
research, data collection and information-sharing on water resource assessment and
management.
C. Faye et al.
conservation, development of hydraulic infrastructures, management of risk, and
environmental preservation, particularly in sensitive and fragile areas.
Senegal has also developed new guidelines, commonly known as National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), in coordination with the 16th Conference of the Parties on Climate
Change (COP16), held in 2010 in Mexico. Thus, adaptation to climate change has
been integrated into water resource planning in the medium and long term. Good
water policy in Senegal is also based on promoting the active contributions of stakeholders in the design, implementation and management of water resource programs
and projects.
Although Senegal has a sufficient supply of water during the rainy season, poor
geographical distribution and high rainfall variability as well as inadequate management, lead to water scarcity in some areas. Thus, in spite of significant advances,
water availability remains uncertain for areas facing quality problems (fluoride, water
pollution), supply challenges (overexploitation of aquifers) and access, because of the
very high cost of resource mobilization. Compounding these difficulties are insufficient budgets for the water sector. Regulation and enforcement are not consistently coordinated among ministries, and there has been inadequate investment in
storage infrastructure due to recurring droughts and floods. These needs have been
shortchanged because water resource management tends not to prioritize freshwater
security in the climate change context.
In Senegal, water monitoring is mainly the responsibility of the Directorate of
Water Resources Management and Planning (DGPRE) in collaboration with other
national entities. However, water management in Senegal is implemented at the sector
level, which limits the development of a comprehensive national water resource
management strategy. Many different national authorities oversee various aspects of
water management, such as policy, law creation and enforcement, delivery of services
and consumption (Chitambi 2017). Thus institutional arrangements can be unclear
and/or conflicting.
The number and cross-cutting nature of various authoritative entities creates
dysfunction and therefore serves as a major constraint for freshwater safety. A big
issue is the fragmentation of skills and lack of coordination among organizations
responsible for implementing policies in Senegal and the other countries that share
its basins, as well as questions of authority within and between countries and duplication of effort. Jointly, this fragmentation has undermined sustainable livelihoods
(Murenga 2003) and driven economic, social and ecological costs to human societies
and to the environment (Kouam-Kenmogne et al. 2006). At the same time, a certain
level of redundancy has advantages in assessing natural land surface waters and integrating water resource management at the national level. In addition, Senegal must
strengthen regional cooperation on water resource management as well as improve
research, data collection and information-sharing on water resource assessment and
management.