The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has teamed up with UNEP and the UNEP-DHI Centre to launch the Climate Resilient Eastern African Transboundary Water Management for Environmental Sustainability (CREATES) programme.
The programme, in partnership with the governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, will focus on strengthening climate-resilient and cooperative water management across Eastern Africa.
A multi-year initiative, CREATES will aim to enhance water security, climate resilience, regional cooperation and sustainable development.
The programme also has the support of the government of Denmark, forming part of its contribution to the EU Team Europe Initiative on Transboundary Water Management (TEI-TWM), which ‘complements wider regional and continental efforts to manage shared water resources in ways that support stability and long-term resilience’, according to the IUCN.
‘Building resilience’
“As one of the main beneficiaries of CREATES, the programme will be instrumental in helping us improve our transboundary water management, building resilience to climate change and ensuring tangible benefits to local communities,” commented Dr. Callist Tindimugaya, Commissioner, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda.
The programme will initially focus on the Mara Basin, shared by Kenya and Tanzania, and the Sio-Malaba-Malakisi Basin, shared by Kenya and Uganda, both of which face growing pressure as a result of climate change, increased demand for water, and inadequate transboundary governance arrangements, the IUCN noted.
Inception phase
A six-month inception phase was launched during a meeting held at the IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office in Nairobi in January.
‘During the inception phase, CREATES will focus on establishing project governance structures, engaging partners and refining workplans to ensure that implementation is supporting basin-level priorities,’ the IUCN said in a statement. ‘Over time, the programme is expected to contribute to stronger institutions, improved cooperation and more sustainable management of shared water resources in the two target basins with sharing of lessons and learnings across Eastern Africa.’ Read more here.
