Water conservation, plastic reduction: Abidjan at the heart of an African drive for sustainable solutions

Abidjan hosted the IYFR Africa Summit 2026 on Monday, April 20, 2026, under the theme: “Preserving Our Waters, Reducing Our Plastics: Local Solutions for a Global Impact.” Organized by the International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians, this continental gathering brought together public authorities, experts, international organizations, civil society actors, and African delegations around a major challenge: the sustainable protection of water resources against plastic pollution.
The opening ceremony was marked by speeches calling for collective mobilization, strengthened institutional synergies, and the adoption of concrete and sustainable solutions. The proceedings were then structured around two high-level panels focusing, respectively, on the preservation of water resources and on local innovation in the reduction and valorization of plastic waste.
The first panel, entitled “Preserving Our Waters, Reducing Our Plastics: Local Solutions for a Global Impact,” notably highlighted the expertise of the African Water and Sanitation Association (AAEA) through contributions from Mr. François Olivier Gosso, Executive Director of the AAEA, and Professor Stéphane Jean Claon, Director of LACQUE at ONEP (Water Quality Analysis and Control Laboratory), alongside partner technical institutions. Discussions emphasized the urgency of acting upstream to prevent plastic from reaching aquatic environments.
At the close of the summit, a strong message emerged: Africa already possesses local solutions capable of generating a sustainable global impact. In this momentum, participants agreed to meet in Senegal in April 2027 for the next African summit, which will serve to consolidate the commitments made in Abidjan and to sustain continental mobilization for the preservation of water resources and the fight against plastic pollution.