Nairobi workshop on water issues in Africa for East African journalists, 30 January – 3 February 2023

Africa 21 is pleased to co-organise with the Water Diplomat, a workshop in Nairobi on water issues in Africa for journalists from East Africa.

This workshop, in a hybrid format, is a follow-up to the workshop organised in Dakar in August 2022. It aims to ensure the follow-up of the 9th World Water Forum and to prepare African journalists for the UN Water Conference in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023.

English-speaking African journalists, or those who understand and speak English well enough, are invited to attend our workshop via Zoom.

You can register by emailing us at journalist@africa21.org and indicating your full name, whether or not you are a member of the Africa 21 Journalist Network, and the media you work for.

Here is the provisional programme for the workshop (The agenda is updated regularly) :

-The material used and the videos of the different sessions will be posted on this page as they become available.

Provisional agenda

(GMT+3) Time in Nairobi, Kenya

Monday 30 January

• 10 AM – 10:45 AM Opening ceremony
  
  • Abdoulaye Sene, Executive Secretary of the 9th World Water Forum (online)
    Click here to see his presentation.

• • Pim van der Male, First Secretary for Food Security & Water, Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi
  • Mr. Soltan Rahimzoda, Special Envoy on Water of the President of Tajikistan
    To wath de video :

• • Prof. Patrick Maluki, Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies, University of Nairobi

• 11 AM – 1 PM Session 1 : Introduction: water diplomacy
  • Dr. Tobias Schmitz, The Water Diplomat

• • Dr. Boubacar Barry, Scientific Advisor to the Secretariat of the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar

• • Mr. Sanoi Boyzoda, Representative of the Republic of Tajikistan to the executive committee of the international fund for saving the Aral Sea
    Click here to see his presentation.

Lunch

• 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Session 2: Water, a scarce resource?  State of play and climate issues
  • Dr. Aditi Mukherji, Coordinating Lead Author of the chapter on Water of the WGII report, IPCC (online)
    Click here to see her presentation.

• • Dr. Boubacar Barry, Scientific Advisor to the Secretariat of the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar
    Click here, to see his presentation.

• 4:30 PM – 4:45 PM Conclusion : Dr. Tobias Schmitz, The Water Diplomat
  

Tuesday 31 January

• 10 AM – 1 PM Session 3: Access to drinking water, sanitation and African public policies
  • Sustainable Development Goal 6, Dr. Tobias Schmitz, The Water Diplomat.
    Click here, to see his presentation.
  • The human right to water and the obligations of the different States parties, Moez Allaoui, Advisor to the General Management, Société Nationale d’Exploitation et de Distribution des Eaux (SONEDE) Tunisia.
    Click here, to see his presentation.
  • Public policies for access to water in Africa :
    • Urban environments and their water resources: Mr. Pireh Otieno, UN Habitat
    • Richard Elelman, Acting Coordinator of the World Water Quality Alliance (UNEP)
      Click here to see his presentation.
• 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Session 4: Managing water-related risks in Africa
  • Josep De Trincheria, WASH Program Coordinator, IOM
    click here To see his presentation.

• • WASH in humanitarian emergencies : Julien Le Sourd, ICRC DRC
    Click here to see his presentation.

• 4:30 PM – 4:45 PM Conclusion : Dr. Tobias Schmitz, The Water Diplomat
  

Wednesday 1 February

• 10 AM – 12 PM Session 5: Water sector: economy, trade and employment
  • Water in Nationally Determined Contributions by Simon Thuo,  Alliance for Global Water Adaptation
    Click here, to see his presentation.

• • The Africa Investment Programme : Andrew Takawira, GWP (online)

• Field trip on the theme of water : visit to Limuru Water and Sewerage Company

Thursday 2 February

• Day of water-related field visits : TNC Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund project area.

Friday 3 February

• 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM Session 6, Agriculture and the water issue
  • Valere Nzeyimana, Senior Water Dev & Management Officer, FAO Regional Office for Africa (FAORAF) (online)
    Click here to see his presentation.

• • Henrique Pacini, UNCTAD : Management of natural resources and in particular water in industry and agriculture (online)
    Click here, to see his presentation.

• 2 PM – 3:30 PM Closing session, Towards a transboundary approach to water management and key messages for New York
  • Rémy Kinna, UNECE Water Conventions Secretariat (online)
    Click here, to see his presentation.

• • Aïda Diongue-Niang & Dr Olago, IPCC (online)

• 3:30 PM – 3:45 PM Conclusion : Dr. Tobias Schmitz, The Water Diplomat

***

• 4 PM – 5:30 PM Editorial conference : Presentation of the different journalists’ projects and peer review.

We thank our partners for making this workshop possible: