Sahel heads of state launch water initiative

The 14th summit of heads of state and government of the Sahel countries launched on Sunday a special initiative on water harnessing at the end of their summit held in the Mauritanian capital.

The initiative, contained in the "Nouakchott declaration" notes that 40% of the Sahel region's 50 million population do not have access to drinking water and are facing permanent food insecurity, continuous degradation of their natural resources and unstable weather conditions.

The heads of state grouped in the standing inter-state committee for the fight against drought in the Sahel (CILSS) called the international community to create a world coalition by 2007 in order to help the region better harness water in order to overcome famine. This goal is to be attained through small irrigation amenities and man-made rain, the summit says.

The summit also called the organization, set up in 1973, to re-focus on its initial activities of fighting desert encroachment, address water and food security problems, coordinate public policies and draft a food security program based on exchange of surpluses among member states.

The CILSS member states further asked the Mauritanian president who took over as the organization chairman to eliminate the existing duplication of activities with other regional organizations and to re-negotiate with donor countries programs that do not match the newly-set goals.