By: Dawda Baldeh
The Gambia River Basin Development Organization (OMVG) with support of the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) under the Blue Peace Financing Initiative have organized a three-day regional consultation workshop with stakeholders on Phase 3 of the development of its Integrated Development Master Plan (PDDI). The event was held from July 19 to 21, at Coco Ocean Hotel, Banjul.
The consultation workshop brought together a variety of participants including, members of the OMVG High Commission team, the different directorates (technical, finance, administration); representatives of the member states; the International Consultants of the 3 Lots; the technical and financial partners (DDC, GWH and UNCDF), etc.
The objective of the Blue Peace Financing Initiative is to create new ways for non-sovereign regional managing natural resource entities, such as river basin organizations, to access financial capital for investments in cross-border and multi-sectoral water cooperation.
Preliminary exchanges with key financial stakeholders, including potential investors, have confirmed that the market has a strong appetite and interest in an innovative financing instrument such as the Blue Peace Bond.
The initiative was launched in December 2019 with the signing by the President of the OMVG Council of Ministers of a resolution announcing OMVG’s partnership with Blue Peace partners on the exploration of innovative financing mechanisms including the Blue Peace financing initiative, to implement projects within the framework of its Master Plan (PDDI).
The capacity-building activities including the development of OMVG’s masterplan (PDDI), a Technical Assistance Program, and a Legal and Institutional Review are ongoing. In December 2021, the diagnostic report of the OMVG’s Master plan (PDDI), which presented the major transboundary issues and development opportunities associated with the natural resources of the OMVG area and the sectoral economic uses were validated (Phase1).
In June 2022, the development of the six sectoral master plans was presented and validated (Phase 2). The sectors with the highest potential and priority to start with for the joint investment plan (portfolio) have been identified and include energy, agriculture, drinking water and sanitation, navigation, forestry as well as municipal infrastructure.
The workshop was supported by UNCDF and the SDC, OMVG to build the capacity of the participants and launch the last and third phase for the development of the PDDI which aims at defining possible development scenarios for the OMVG area, modelling these scenarios to compare them based on hydrological, environmental, social and economic indicators, then defining the PDDI (Phase 3).
Rohey John Manjang, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources said the implementation of the master plan initiated by the OMVG High Commission will have a positive impact on the improvement of the living conditions of the populations of the basin areas through its programs and projects, adding that the consultation forum is significant.
“The issue of financing remains a major challenge for basin organizations. Currently, the OMVG draws its financial resources for its projects mainly from the contributions of its four member states. There is no financial instrument capable of channelling funding directly to the supranational entity which is the OMVG. The innovation of the Blue Peace Financing initiative aims to develop a sustainable financing mechanism that will allow non-sovereign entities or basin organizations such as OMVG to access financial markets directly,” declared Ms Christed Alvergne, UNCDF Regional Coordinator.
“This master plan will be the strategic planning framework for the sustainable development of all the basins, of a coherent development program for integrated and concerted management of water resources and ecosystems. Therefore, the participation of all the stakeholders of the basins in the definition of the scenarios is essential,” said Ababacar Ndao, Secretary General of the OMVG High Commission.
