The overarching objective of the proposed readiness proposal is to increase Mauritania’s technical capacities to undertake climate risk and vulnerability analysis of WASH services, including the monitoring of groundwater quality and quantity. It aims at improving national and sub-national institutional coordination and knowledge of climate risks and resilient solutions, especially for the vulnerable communities in Nouakchott. Monitoring, co-financed by UNICEF, will address regional gaps in data collection and will be shared with key stakeholders, complementing and supplementing progress in understanding Mauritania’s water resources and associated risks, such as ongoing initiatives by UNICEF, Agence Francaise de Développement (AFD) and the World Bank (WB). Other proposed activities include the provision of training to key government institutions on understanding the impacts of climate change on groundwater resources, the creation of a Technical Working Group to guide climate resilient decision-making in the WASH sector, and the development and delivery of a Concept Note focused to strengthen the climate resilience of WASH services in Nouakchott. Ultimately, this Readiness Programme will result in the understanding of the impacts of climate on the quality and quantity of water resources and possible opportunities to mitigate those impacts.

As part of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, a study was conducted to highlight the gaps impairing adaptation for the water sector1. The study underlined the current limited knowledge of surface and groundwater resources, indicating the urgent need to better monitor the resource in the main surface water bodies and aquifers currently exploited to ensure sustainable, climate-resilient uses and reduce climate-related risks. This proposal directly addresses critical gaps and associated knowledge production needs identified under the ongoing NAP process and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), including addressing limited knowledge of surface and groundwater resources to ensure sustainable, climate-resilient water uses and reduce climate-related risks. It also highlights a lack of concerted management of water-related data, and limited understanding of climate change impacts to enable the implementation of adaptation measures. These technical capacity and knowledge gaps must be addressed to improve long-term climate resilient water management. This proposed Readiness programme was designed to address these gaps and create an enabling environment for the successful implementation of Mauritania’s NAP and NDC, as well as other adaptation interventions in the water sector, with a focus on the Nouakchott aquifer.

This Readiness Programme will initially target its support towards the National Center for Water Resources (CNRE) which is responsible for the exploration, evaluation, monitoring, and protection of groundwater resources. The technical and technological support provided to CNRE will enhance the ability of this National Institution to monitor and analyse climate change impacts on groundwater across Mauritania. Additional beneficiaries include the Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation (Ministère de l’Hydraulique et de l’Assainissement, MHA), the National Office for Water services in Rural areas (Office National des Services d’Eau en milieu Rural, ONSER), the National Water Society (Société Nationale de l’Eau), the National Borehole and Well Society (Societe National des Forages et Puits, SNFP), the National Meteorology Office (Office National de la Météorologie, ONM) as well as the University of Nouakchott. These institutions will be able to increase their knowledge, and technical and coordination capacities. This Readiness Programme will also benefit Nouakchott’s growing population, especially for the areas prone to floods (Dar Naim, Sebkhsa, Tvragh Zeina and El Ksar) accounting for 300’000 people at risk.