Description
The first few days of the World Youth Parliament for Water’s 5th General Assembly, currently taking place in Dakar, Senegal, were filled with new insights on water challenges around the world, and new friendships among participants. Around 60 aspiring young water leaders from all around the globe are currently meeting in Dakar to connect over their shared commitment to youth representation in the water sector and to prepare for the 9th World Water Forum, which will start on 21st March.
Next to workshops on the WYPW family, including the drafting of advocacy messages for the World Water Forum and long-term strategic planning for WYPW, the General Assembly participants also got to meet with key stakeholders of the Senegalese water sector to learn more about local water issues.
On 17th March, the first day of the General Assembly, participants were briefed about regional water management and cooperation over the Senegal River by representatives of the Organisation pour la mise en valeur du fleuve Senegal (OMVS). Association des jeunes professionnels de l’eau et de l’assainissement du Senegal (AJPEAS) shared insights on water supply techniques and the challenges that youth has to face in achieving SDG 6. The day was rounded off by the official visit of Mr. Amadou Gueye and of Mr. Mamadou Guissé from the World Water Forum Secretariat, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the 9th World Water Forum. They recognized the General Assembly as an important event leading to the 9th World Water Forum and the necessity of young involvement in solving the water crisis.
The second day of the General Assembly gave participants the opportunity to see Senegalese water management in action first-hand. Half of the group went to Diamniadio to meet Adama Samba, a female agronomist and land farmer. An enriching experience that allowed them to explore issues related to water resource management in rural areas, in a context of growing urbanization and industrialization. The other half met with Sylvain Bedri, Regional Director of Technical knowledge at Sen’Eau‘s main treatment plan. They learned about public-private partnerships in water management and innovative technologies used to improve quality and distribution.
After these insights into local water issues, the third day was all about finalizing advocacy messages and developing a strong strategy to get these messages across, both at the World Water Forum and in WYPW’s continuous advocacy work afterwards. Supported by the EU Water Facility team, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Presence Suisse, the General Assembly participants spent the day in workshops focused on advocacy and communication. Stay tuned for more information on these advocacy messages as our young water leaders prepare for the World Water Forum, starting this Monday!
Thank you to all of our core partners for making this event possible:
