The African Development Bank (AfDB), through its water and sanitation department (OWAS/AWF) and the Vice-presidency of the Sector-based Operations, celebrated the World Water Day on Friday, March 22nd, 2015. On this occasion, various stakeholders of water and sanitation gathered in the auditorium of the Bank, in Abidjan, to carry out the reflection on the issue of water and sustainable development, the theme of this celebration. The ceremony was chaired by the Ivorian Minister for National Forestry Commission, Mathieu BabaudDaret. The representative of UNICEF in Côte d’Ivoire Adèle Khudrtook part in this ceremony on behalf of the technical and financial partners.

For the AfDB, this celebration is the very first one of this important day, since the return of the headoffice in Abidjan. And the event was celebrated within the context of the assessment regarding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The issue also related to anticipating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be promulgated at the end of the year 2015 by the United Nations over the period 2016 - 2030.

The eventincludedthree presentations by the Director of the AfDB Water and Sanitation Department, Mohamed El Azizi, the Director of Water Resources of the Ivorian Ministry for National Forestry Commission, Michel Tozan, and the UNICEF Adviser for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Evariste Kouassi. The three speakers respectively presented the actions carried out by the AfDB within the framework of the MDGs, the assessment and prospects of Côte d’Ivoire regarding the MDGs in the water and sanitation related sector, and the stakes of the Sustainable Development Objectives for Africa.

The African Water Association was represented in this world day by its Executive Director, Sylvain Usher, and by the WOP Africa program Coordinator, Siméon Kenfack. During the subsequent discussion panel, the WOP Africa Coordinator pleaded for the capacity building of the water and sanitation stakeholders through experience sharing and requested the support of development partners for the achievement of this type of projects.