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Chegga El Beidha, Mauritania:

Water That Changes Lives

By IW:LEARN

October 29^th, 2025

Water for Resilience: A Pilot Initiative Tackling Scarcity, Quality and Climate Risks

In the small village of Chegga El Beidha, located in the far southeast of Mauritania, more than 70 families live over 1,000 kilometres from the capital, Nouakchott. Here, water was a rare and difficult resource — a daily struggle.

Aboubacar, a resident, clearly remembers what water meant just a few months ago:

“Water was there, but far away… buried more than 100 meters underground. Reaching it by hand? Impossible. Even donkeys couldn’t pull it up. Only camels could manage.”

But those strong animals weren’t always available. So the entire village waited—hoping a herder would pass by and draw a few buckets for them. Every day brought uncertainty and dependence. Water never came alone, and never came quickly.

Today, Aboubacar looks at the same well with new eyes:

“Now, we just go there, open the tap… and water flows. Simply. Easily.”

Buckets fill in minutes. His wife can even ask one of their daughters to fetch water without a second thought.

“Water is no longer a struggle. It’s here. For all of us, all the time.”

And with it comes freedom, dignity, and hope for the future.

A Pilot Project That Transformed a Reality

This transformation was made possible by the pilot demonstration project entitled:

“Climate-resilient and efficient water resource management for the socio-economic development of communities in the Bassiknou–Vassala transhumance corridor (Chegga El Beidha)”, implemented under the first phase of the regional NB-ITTAS project.

Located in the Dhar de Nema basin, Chegga El Beidha was strategically selected for its position along a cross-border transhumance corridor, an area facing growing water stress, climate impacts, and demographic pressure.

The project promotes the sustainable use of groundwater from the Maastrichtian aquifer, locally known as the Dhar aquifer, the main water source in this part of the Taoudéni Basin. Although it spans about 16,760 km², this aquifer has a low recharge rate and high mineral content, especially fluoride and iron, leading to public health issues and the loss of livelihoods.

A Scalable Model for the Arid Zone

By addressing key challenges such as sustainable groundwater management, mineral reduction, and climate resilience, this pilot project offers a replicable model for other parts of the Arid Zone

It delivers practical solutions through:

Increasing cultivable land using nature-based solutions;
Improving access to safe drinking water that meets WHO standards;
Enhancing groundwater availability for community livelihoods while reducing water-related conflicts;
Launching climate-resilient, water-efficient agriculture through local micro-projects;
Raising awareness among communities, including transhumant populations, on sustainable water use;
Promoting experience-sharing with other basin stakeholders to improve water management and reduce iron content in groundwater.

Today, Chegga El Beidha stands as a powerful example of what an integrated, inclusive, and resilient approach to water management can achieve. A beacon of hope for sustainable development across the Sahel—where water still has the power to change everything.

About the NB-ITTAS Project

The regional NB-ITTAS project aims to improve the management, governance, and protection of water resources in the Niger River Basin and the transboundary aquifer systems of Iullemeden-Taoudéni/Tanezrouft (SAIT). It is based on a knowledge-driven approach to strengthen Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) for the benefit of rural communities and ecosystem resilience. The project contributes directly to SDGs 2, 6 (target 6.5) and 13 (targets 13.1 and 13.2).

Covering 11 African countries, the project spans two key hydrological systems. The Niger River Basin extends over 2.2 million km² across nine-member countries of the NBA, while the ITTAS aquifer system covers about 2 million km² in seven countries. These resources are vital for the livelihoods of millions of people.

Implemented by the OSS, NBA, UNESCO, and UNIDO, the project entrusts OSS with leading the TDA/SAP process (Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis / Strategic Action Programme), as recommended by the GEF for international waters. The TDA for ITTAS was validated in October 2023 in Nouakchott, and the SAP was adopted in Bamako in February 2025 and endorsed by ministerial meeting in Nouakchott in April 2025.

Significant progress has already been achieved:

Development of a regional hydrogeological model;
Completion of the TDA and the SAP;
Implementation of six pilot projects on priority themes;
Development of a database gathering more than 57,000 water points;
Signature by five countries of a memorandum of understanding establishing a Concertation Mechanism for the shared management of water resources;
Strengthening national technical capacities and the implementation of effective communication strategies at national and sub-regional levels

Solutions identified in the TDA are being tested through six unifying pilot demonstration sites in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Nigeria. These sites were selected to reflect the project's five thematic areas and serve as platforms for applying best practices in groundwater and integrated water resource management.

Initial actions have led to the construction of modern water access infrastructure (boreholes, wells, solar-powered water points), the enhancement of aquifer recharge through mini-dams, the implementation of climate-resilient agro-hydraulic systems, and the launch of reforestation initiatives to address climate change.