The Dakar Water Hub - Pôle Eau Dakar

Building Peace Water for Peace Diplomacy in the Sahel and West Africa

We believe that effective water diplomacy requires dynamic leadership and a deep understanding of local contexts to address the complex challenges of water resources.

Leveraging its significant contribution and leadership role as Vice-Chair of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace, Senegal established the Dakar Water Hub (Pôle Eau Dakar) in 2021. As an initiative anchored at the Ministry of Water and Sanitation of Senegal, the Dakar Water Hub has a mission to “promote the development of skills and practices at the local and regional levels to encourage integrated water resources management based on the strengthening of hydro-diplomacy and peace.” The Dakar Water Hub brings together key stakeholders in water diplomacy, including transboundary basin organizations, universities, researchers, peace and security actors, civil society organizations, and the private sector. At the regional level, the Dakar Water Hub leads a forward-looking and practical approach to hydrodiplomacy by connecting actors committed to harnessing water's potential for peace in West Africa.

The Geneva Water Hub stands firmly behind the Dakar Water Hub, committed to supporting its reinforcement and further development. As a critical platform for advancing cooperation and peace in water diplomacy, the Dakar Water Hub plays a vital role in shaping the future of water management and governance in West Africa.

Building on the vision and cooperative frameworks of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace, the Dakar Water Hub and the Geneva Water Hub are working together to position water at the intersection of peace, development and security in global and regional agendas. Their goal is to showcase how water can actively contribute to peace and cooperation, promoting models and practices that facilitate conflict transformation and peacebuilding.