On Wednesday February 22, 2023, the National Office for Drinking Water's interest in the theme of the 21st International Water Congress resulted in the organization of a multidisciplinary exchange framework on the challenges access to drinking water in Côte d'Ivoire.
The speakers invited to this meeting addressed this issue in connection with their areas of expertise under two (2) axes.
The first panel focused on the mobilization and preservation of water resources. During this first phase, Mrs. Saramatou KONÉ, Director of Hydrology at the Ministry of Hydraulics, Sanitation and Health, demonstrated the impact of human activities on the availability of water resources and suggests strengthen investments in the monitoring and protection of said resource to enable the sector to be more resilient.
Then, Doctor Stéphane CLAON, Director of the Water Quality Analysis and Control Laboratory at ONEP, highlighted the consequences of the phenomenon of clandestine gold panning on the availability of the resource and the high risk health that this represents. It therefore recommended that a regulatory framework for the use of the resource be implemented to preserve the catchment areas for water intended for human consumption.
And, Professor Albert GOULA BI, Teacher-Researcher at the UFR of Environmental Sciences and Management at the Nangui Abrogoua University of Abidjan, addressed the issue from the institutional point of view by highlighting the aspects that require particular attention. to create an institutional framework conducive to the integrated management of water resources.
The second phase of discussions focused on the mechanism for financing the water sector.
Mr. Adama IDO, Director of Projects at ONEP presented the ways and means by which the State of Côte d'Ivoire manages to find resources to finance the construction of hydraulic infrastructures. Mr. Moussa KOUYATE, current President of the National Steering Committee for Public-Private Partnerships, supported his predecessor's presentation by recommending that the hydraulics sector favor public-private partnerships to strengthen its capacity to investment.
This 90-minute interactive session between panelists and participants took place in room 6 of the Sofitel Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan, and recorded the presence of Mrs. Edith KOUASSY, Administrator at ONEP, Mrs. Nabintou CISSE, Director Deputy General of ONEP and several water and sanitation experts from Côte d'Ivoire and other AfWA member countries.
