First stakeholder meeting of the LASER-PULSE East Africa Water Security project provides valuable insights

The LASER-PULSE East Africa Water Security project, of which Aidenvironment is a member of the implementing team, held its first stakeholder meeting. It was attended by 72 participants, ranging from water resources managers, NGO personnel, industry representatives, and policymakers to academics and students of water management.

The participants provided valuable insights and suggestions on data, policy, and stakeholder engagement:

• The quality of available data ranges from high to low, with frequent gaps. Remote sensing/satellite methods and automation can improve data quality and frequency of collection.
• In some cases, data is available to use for water resource allocation and management, drought/flood forecasting, and GIS analyses across sectors, but post-processing the data into information products such as infographics, trend lines, and tailored briefs could increase its usability by decision-makers.
• Current policies help with setting data quality standards. However, in some cases they seem to constrain data-sharing possibilities by imposing strict security measures and procedures for accessing data.
• Sampling is more targeted in areas where conservation efforts are being made or where economic activities drive interest. This skews the picture toward a more positive assessment of water quality than is justified because in some areas there are concerns about degradation due to agricultural practices.

For more information on all the insights gathered, see the meeting report.

For more information, please contact James W. Kisekka