Ouidah, Benin, 23 July 2026 – Stakeholders in water resource management of the transboundary Mono River Basin convened on 23–24 July 2026 in Ouidah for the Regional Workshop on Causal Chain Analysis of the Regional Initiative for Water and Environment in the Transboundary Mono River Basin (RIWE-Mono) project.
Organized by the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) in close collaboration with the Mono Basin Authority (MBA), the Project Management Unit, and the Global Water Partnership – West Africa (GWP-WA), this workshop represents a major step in the process of developing the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) of the Mono Basin.
The Mono River Basin plays a strategic role in the socio-economic development of populations in Benin and Togo. However, it faces numerous challenges, including natural resource degradation, climate change impacts, growing demographic pressures, and governance issues related to water and ecosystems.
The workshop brought together nearly 35 participants, including representatives of national institutions, sectoral experts, regional partner organizations, and focal points of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Discussions focused on thematic reports covering socio-economics, environment, climate change, and governance, as well as the identification and validation of priority transboundary issues in the basin.
Participants also analyzed causal chains associated with these issues to identify immediate, underlying, and root causes that affect water resources and ecosystems in the basin. The expected results will contribute to the development of a Strategic Action Programme (SAP) based on regional consensus.
The RIWE-Mono project was developed by the MBA, in partnership with IUCN, GWP-WA, and OSS, with the support of the concerned States and funding from the GEF. Its objective is to promote sustainable practices related to water, ecosystems, and climate change adaptation, ensuring lasting services for both populations and nature in the Mono River Basin.
Through this regional workshop, partners reaffirm their commitment to a concerted, resilient, and sustainable management of shared natural resources, for the benefit of present and future generations.