In a landmark move aimed at preventing future water-related conflicts and strengthening regional integration, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Mano River Union (MRU) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on Tuesday sealed a historic agreement to jointly manage shared river basins across the Mano River sub-region.
The agreement was reached during a high-level, three-day regional workshop in Monrovia that brought together policymakers, lawmakers, water experts and development partners from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire to validate the legal framework establishing the Transboundary Water Basins Management Office of the Mano River Union (TWBMO-MRU).
Once formally endorsed, the framework will create a legally binding mechanism for coordinated governance of transboundary water resources–rivers that cut across national borders and have long faced growing pressure from climate change, population growth and competing development demands.
Regional leaders say the new framework marks a decisive shift from fragmented, country-by-country water management to a cooperative system designed to transform shared rivers into instruments of peace, sustainable development and economic integration.
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Speaking at the opening of the workshop, MRU Deputy Secretary General for Economic Development and Regional Integration, Madam Ama Gborie Foday, emphasized that the initiative goes beyond technical coordination, reflecting a shared political commitment by member states to protect common resources for future generations.
“Water knows no borders,” Madam Foday warned. “Without strong legal and institutional safeguards, shared rivers can easily become flashpoints for tension rather than pillars of unity. This initiative demonstrates our collective determination to ensure that water becomes a source of cooperation, not conflict.”
She noted that the proposed Transboundary Water Basins Management Office would provide the institutional backbone needed to coordinate planning, data sharing, infrastructure development and environmental protection across the sub-region.
The TWBMO-MRU builds on decades of regional commitments, including the 1998 Ouagadougou Declaration, ECOWAS water governance frameworks, and a 2008 ECOWAS decision mandating the establishment of transboundary basin organizations across West Africa. These efforts were further advanced through feasibility studies and stakeholder consultations conducted between 2018 and 2019 in Abidjan and Conakry.
Opening the workshop on behalf of the Government of Liberia, Wynitta K. Gwaikolo, Director of the Liberia Hydrological Service at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, described the agreement as a critical milestone for both regional integration and sustainable resource management.
“As climate change and population growth continue to intensify pressure on our shared waters, failure to manage them collectively could turn cooperation into conflict,” Gwaikolo cautioned. “This office offers a peaceful, structured and sustainable framework for managing shared water resources in a way that benefits all our countries.”
She reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to supporting regional institutions that promote stability, climate resilience and shared prosperity.
Also addressing the gathering, ECOWAS Political Advisor in Liberia, Dr. Nathaniel B. Walker, hailed the Monrovia meeting as a turning point for transboundary water governance in West Africa and commended Liberia for hosting the event.
“The establishment of the Transboundary Water Basins Management Office of the Mano River Union is not only about water,” Dr. Walker said. “It is about peace, integration and shared development. ECOWAS remains fully committed to ensuring the swift and effective operationalization of this office.”
According to Dr. Walker, the proposed body will deepen integration within the Mano River Union while serving as a model for transboundary water governance across West Africa, fully aligned with the Ouagadougou Declaration and the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on Integrated Water Resources Management.
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Participants at the workshop engaged in detailed legal and technical reviews of the proposed framework, focusing on governance structures, dispute-resolution mechanisms, data-sharing protocols and financing arrangements. The goal, organizers said, is to ensure that the TWBMO-MRU is not only legally sound but also operationally effective and politically supported.
The three-day workshop runs through December 18, with delegates expected to finalize, validate and formally endorse the communiqué establishing the Transboundary Water Basins Management Office–marking a major step toward preventing water conflicts, strengthening climate resilience and advancing peace and cooperation across the Mano River sub-region.
