As the world marks International Mother Earth Day, the call to restore ecosystems and strengthen humanity’s relationship with nature has never been more urgent. Across the Volta River Basin in West Africa, a new initiative is turning this global call into concrete action.
The REWarD Project (Reversing Ecosystem and Water Degradation) is helping countries in the basin restore degraded ecosystems while improving livelihoods and climate resilience through science-based decision-making tools and regional cooperation.
Mother Earth is “sending us a message”: ecosystems are under pressure from climate change, land degradation, and unsustainable resource use, and restoring them is essential for both people and the planet.
In the Volta Basin, these challenges are visible through increasing droughts, water stress, and ecosystem degradation. The REWarD project directly responds to these issues by promoting integrated ecosystem-based development and transboundary governance.
At the heart of this effort is an innovative Decision Support System (DSS) that combines data, modelling, and stakeholder inputs to support sustainable water and ecosystem management.
The DSS integrates three major components:
a Knowledge Base to collect and share water and environmental data,
a Water Resources Planning Tool to evaluate future scenarios,
and a Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) to anticipate climate risks.
This system enables decision-makers to move from reactive responses to anticipatory, data-driven planning, aligning with global calls for ecosystem restoration and resilience.
The project has already made significant progress by compiling and harmonizing data across the basin. This includes hydrological, climate, population, and ecosystem information from national and regional sources, complemented by satellite observations.
By integrating Earth observation data with local measurements, the DSS ensures consistent and near real-time information across countries - critical for managing shared water resources in a changing climate.
In parallel, advanced hydrological models are being calibrated and validated to simulate river flows, water demand, and ecosystem needs. These models help assess the impacts of climate change, population growth, and infrastructure development on water availability and ecosystems.
Beyond technology, the REWarD project focuses on people. The drought early warning system is designed to provide timely information to farmers, pastoralists, and local authorities, helping them prepare for extreme events and reduce vulnerability.
This approach reflects a key message of Mother Earth Day: ecosystem restoration and human well-being are inseparable. Healthy ecosystems support food security, water availability, and climate resilience.
The Volta Basin spans six countries, making cooperation essential. The REWarD project strengthens collaboration among national institutions, promotes data sharing, and builds capacity through the Volta Basin Observatory.
By providing a shared platform and common tools, the DSS fosters collective decision-making across borders, ensuring that ecosystem restoration efforts are coordinated and effective.
The REWarD initiative contributes directly to global priorities highlighted on International Mother Earth Day, including:
restoring degraded ecosystems,
combating climate change,
and promoting sustainable resource management.
It also aligns with broader global frameworks such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the Paris Agreement.
While significant progress has been made, challenges remain, particularly in filling data gaps and ensuring long-term sustainability of the system. Continued collaboration between countries, institutions, and communities will be essential.
As Mother Earth Day reminds us, restoring our planet requires action at all levels - from global commitments to local solutions. In the Volta Basin, the REWarD project shows how science, cooperation, and innovation can come together to turn that vision into reality.
Contact: Salifou DENE (dene.abv@gmail.com)
Thumbnail photo by Giulio Eugeni on Unsplash
Restoring Earth through Water Intelligence
About the REWarD project
The REWarD (Reversing Ecosystem and Water Degradation) project is a GEF-funded initiative implemented by UNEP and executed by the Volta Basin Authority in partnership with GWP-WA and IUCN. It aims to restore ecosystems, strengthen transboundary water governance, and improve livelihoods in the Volta River Basin through innovative tools and integrated approaches.