Due to the increasing popularity of the UNECE Environmental Performance Review (EPR) Programme, the Government of Mauritania has asked the UNECE secretariat to review the country’s environmental performance. On 10–11 August 2022, the EPR Programme Manager met in Nouakchott with Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development officials to discuss the substantive content and organization of an EPR of the country.
Ministers from The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal have agreed to establish a legal and institutional framework for cooperation on the Senegal-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin (SMAB), a shared aquifer basin (groundwater reserve) on which 80% of their populations depend. In a context of rising water stress, this resource is strategic for the region’s adaptation to climate change, as it is less vulnerable than surface water. Its concerted management will contribute to reinforce peace among the populations of the four countries.