1. «Water management: the Italian Development
Cooperation and AICS approach»
Paolo Enrico SERTOLI, Head at AICS Maputo Regional Office
Water Innovation Summit
Session 6, «Cooperation», Best Practices
22 June 2023

2. Main contents
1. Thematic introduction and contestualization;
2. Water management for the Italian Development Cooperation and AICS:
thematic guidelines;
3. Examples of best practices implemented;
4. Conclusions.

3. 1. Thematic introduction and contestualization
• Water quantity → limited on the earth's surface and unevenly distributed. It covers
almost 70% of the planet's surface, but its fresh component represents only 2.5% (35
million km3);
• Close link between poverty and access to water resources: the lack of water limits the
productive and economic development of a country. Countries where populations
have less access to water → Low-income countries (especially in rural areas);
• Among the most populated countries with less access (both economic and physical)
to water resources are Ethiopia (22% of the 77.4 million), Mozambique (43% of the
19.8 million), Niger (46% of the 14 million) and Nigeria (48% of the 131.5 million).

4. OECD - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development;
BRIICS - Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China, South Africa;
RoW – Rest of the World
Source: OECD (2012)

5. 2. Water management for the Italian Development
Cooperation and AICS
• The technical-scientific expertise on the matter are the basis of Italy's consistent
commitment on the front of interventions both aimed at guaranteeing access to
drinking water and the conservation and management of water resources in
international cooperation;
• The current three-year programming document of the Italian Development
Cooperation (covering the period 2021-2023) indicates 20 priority countries;
• Many countries have shared water resources, with the risk of situations of tension for
their exploitation → one of the cross-cutting issues to be taken into greater
consideration is the promotion of shared management of transnational water
resources and a constructive dialogue between countries on use of water.

6. 2. Water management for the Italian Development
Cooperation and AICS – Main areas of intervention
• Mediterranean Area → Tunisia, Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and the
Palestinian Territories → particular emphasis on interventions aimed at the usability of the water
resource for drinking use and WASH and, at water economics in agriculture (focus on arid areas);
• Far East → Bangladesh, India and Vietnam → interventions aimed at the use of healthy water for
drinking purposes and WASH;
• Saharan Africa → Mali, Niger, Senegal and Sudan → interventions favoring the use of water
resources for civil use; consistent commitment to restore vast territories of arid areas with water
collection and distribution techniques to revitalize semi-desert areas in a state of degradation;
• Sub-Saharan Africa → Ethiopia, Kenya and Mozambique → promotion of an integrated vision of
water, sanitation and health. The interventions in the irrigation sector were also substantial;
• Latin America → Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru → participatory management of local
communities in the use of water resources, with particular attention to health aspects, but also to
support access to water in semi-arid areas.

7. 2. Water management for the Italian Development
Cooperation and AICS – Thematic guidelines
• The Italian Development Cooperation Guidelines on the water sector, issued in 2015
by the Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS) of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), aim to summarize the activities
in the sector and provide operational indications about the main fields of action and
geographical areas covered by the interventions;
• The initiatives of the Italian Cooperation are directed towards three specific sub-
sectors of intervention:
• Water for human and civil use (WASH);
• Water for agricultural uses;
• Protection/recovery of aquifers.
• The Guidelines, available online, are being used within the whole Project Cycle
Management (PCM) phases in order to verify the alignment of the interventions to the
international standards (namely dealing with SDG6 Targets).

8. 3. Examples of implemented best practices - Tunisia
• Project title: Project of integrated rural
development in the delegations of
Hezoua and Tamerza (governorate of
Tozeur);
• Funding: 5.1 M Euros;
• Locality: Tozeur Governatorate;
• Main aspects: strengthen participatory
local development, protect natural
resources, modernize the management
of irrigation water, rehabilitate
hydraulic systems, improve and
diversify production of 18 irrigation
perimeters (modern oases).
@ AICS Tunis
@ AICS Tunis

9. 3. Examples of implemented best practices - Tunisia
• Project title: RINOVA project:
valorisation of waste water for
agricultural purposes;
• Funding: 1.8 M Euros;
• Locality: Tataouine Municipality;
• Main aspects: utilization of purified
wastewater in agriculture, in addition
to urban waste management activities,
promotion of local products and
enhancement of the historical
heritage.
@ AICS Tunis
@ AICS Tunis

10. 3. Examples of implemented best practices - Senegal
• Project title: Support for the
management of water resources and
the Water-Energy-Agriculture Nexus in
the Senegal River Basin (WEFE-
SENEGAL);
• Funding: 6.1 M Euros (5.1 M EU);
• Locality: Senegal River Bazin;
• Main aspects: socio-economic
development in the Senegal River Basin
through improved management of
water resources (data collection,
research, WEFE nexus, water quality).
@ AICS Dakar
@ AICS Dakar

11. 3. Examples of implemented best practices - Vietnam
• Project title: Development of a monitoring
and decision support platform for the
management of the Thai Binh - Red River
reservoir system;
• Funding: 3.3 M Euros;
• Locality: Thai Binh and Red River reservoirs;
• Main aspects: Development of an
integrated water management strategy for
the Red River basin, prioritizing flood
prevention, agriculture, and energy
production, and enhancing hydrological and
salinity monitoring in adaptation to climate
change
@ AICS Hanoi

12. 3. Examples of implemented best practices - Ehiopia
• Project title: Basin Scale Resilience
Initiative for Ethiopia - BASRINET;
• Funding: 34.5 M Euros;
• Locality: Awash (Afar Region) and Wabi
Shebele (Somali Region);
• Main aspects: improved integrated
management of water and soil
resources (capacity development,
access to water and energy,
development of river basin plans,
computerized system of databases -
D4D approach)
@ AICS Addis Ababa

13. 3. Examples of implemented best practices – San Salvador
and HQ
• The AICS Regional Office in San Salvador is following the activities of a local Agency
(ESCO; https://esco.gob.sv/) that has recently set up a "Space for dialogue of players
in international cooperation for the development of the water and sanitation
sector“, in particular dealing with the Upper valley of the Río Lempa, the most
important in the country and in Central America;
• The Environment and Use of Territory Department, at HQ, has recently issued a
"WASH operating manual”, a technical manual produced to give practical
information about the elements to be considered when identifying, formulating and
monitoring development interventions dealing the WASH related issues.

14. 4. Conclusions
• The volume of water extracted is considerably greater than its use due to
infrastructural, cultural, technical factors, etc. One of the main challenges for the next
decades is to improve the efficiency of production systems with the aim of using less
water, in a more sustainable way;
• The answer for the improvement of the use of water resources is in its integrated
management (Integrated Water Management, IWM). Maintaining quality and access
are essential in order not to unbalance the renewable resource/demand ratio;
• To deal with situations of water scarcity and to limit reasons for conflict for the
management of resources, in the 21st century. → improve water productivity with
policies that support farmers and their families → the only way to improve water
management, prevent crises and mitigate migratory phenomena.

15. Thanks for your attention
“All the water that will ever be is right now”
National Geographic (October 1993)
Contacts:
paolo.sertoli@aics.gov.it