World Water Day (WWD) is an opportunity for all professionals in the sector to take a look back at the issue of access to drinking water in our countries and look to the future to meet the increasingly pressing challenges of climate change.

This year, the event is being celebrated under the generic theme of “Water for Peace”. This theme is perfectly suited to the national political will in the Republic of Mali. It aims to draw the attention of the highest authorities, stakeholders in the sector and the general public to the importance of water and the sustainable management of water resources as a factor for peace in a context of climate change.

With this in mind, the Government of the Republic of Mali and its strategic partners have been working tirelessly over the past few years to make water a factor for peace and social cohesion by creating water projects and programmes in areas severely affected by the security crisis in the country.

One such initiative is the Access to Drinking Water and Sanitation Project (AEPA), financed by KFW to the tune of CFAF 16 billion for the city of Timbuktu and the surrounding area.

The project will last 24 months from January 2024, and will cover the city of Timbuktu's water needs until 2040. This will have a short- and medium-term impact on limiting water stress and calming the social climate in the Timbuktu region.

In addition to this project, the Government of the Republic is committed to a vast water programme that will benefit the whole country. This makes sense in a country where access to drinking water is even part of cultural wisdom. “Aman, iman”: water is life, say the Tamasheq.