The 7th SADC Groundwater Conference, held in Johannesburg from 19–21 November 2025, brought together regional institutions, policymakers, researchers and young professionals to highlight the significant role of groundwater in climate resilience and water security. The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) participated, sharing experience from UNEP–led, GEF–funded initiatives that it executes such as the SMAS and NB-ITTAS projects, which are advancing joint management of transboundary aquifers across West Africa and the Sahel. OSS also contributed to the GEF IW:LEARN special session, the second Dialogue on the Joint Management of Water Resources, reinforcing the importance of integrated approaches that connect surface and groundwater governance, strengthen data and capacity and support nature-based and regionally coordinated solutions.
Through these engagements, OSS, emphasised the catalytic contributions of UNEP and the GEF in promoting cooperative, science-based groundwater governance that enhances resilience for communities and ecosystems across Africa. Read the full story, here, to explore how these efforts are shaping stronger regional governance, deeper collaboration and more sustainable groundwater management across Africa.
