Sô-Ava's Five-Year Communal Development Plan for 2010-2015 had led the municipality to question the quality of the water. Why was this? The 120,000 people of the municipality of Sô-Ava live either directly on the water in houses on stilts or in villages built on islands that are periodically flooded. Water is therefore at the heart of the lives of the people of Sô-Ava and anything that affects its quantity or quality is a threat to their health and the local economy. Its preservation is therefore of major importance in the survival and resilience of this population in the face of climate change.
In order to provide some answers, clarify needs and have a first point of comparison, Umalia used its human resources and environmental skills to carry out the first analysis of the municipality's water in partnership with Oxfam Quebec.
Analysis of the entire territory and a good part of the wells of the municipality
First complete diagnosis of the municipality
The town hall and the Collective of Civil Society Organizations (COSC) wanted to encourage strategic thinking that reflects the population's opinion on the future of their territory. This exercise was to serve to align future orientations and build the Communal Development Plan for 2015 and beyond. As part of our multi-year support to the municipality, we conceptualized and facilitated a workshop that brought together a diversity of actors from the municipality.
The primary objective was to establish together their long-term vision for their community. By aligning themselves with the strategic orientations of the municipality, this also allowed them to position themselves advantageously vis-à-vis potential donors and private partners.
Creation and facilitation of a consortium
Formulation of the vision and the bases of the Communal Development Plan for the period beginning in 2015
An active and committed civil society expressed its views on the vision and priority themes
The first foundations laid for research and the establishment of future sustainable partnerships that will contribute to the achievement of the vision
This first year of the Communal Development Plan has seen the revitalization and evolution of the extended consultation framework of the commune (CCEC). In order to make this participatory and inclusive mechanism set up in 2010 by the town hall and the COSC evolve, it was necessary to rely on the vision built together as well as on the development plan and the partners for its implementation.
At this stage it was key to ensure that the actions of each one were not duplicated and that all were aligned in the common vision in order to guarantee collective efficiency throughout the implementation of the communal development plan.
Stakeholder consultation
Participatory workshops on the evolution of the consultation framework to stimulate stakeholder engagement and align development efforts for greater efficiency.
Thanks to the alignment and commitment of civil society and the town hall, and the clarity and sharing of the vision of the municipality, it has been possible to establish a multi-sectoral partnership with different sectors around a common issue: water and improving the resilience of populations to the effects of climate change.
The Climat'Eau project, funded by the International Climate Cooperation Program of Quebec, was born in 2017 with 4 pillars:
- Raising awareness of climate change
- Water treatment
- Participatory governance research
- The business ecosystem
Project partners
Private sector: Umalia and Technologies Ecofixe (biological water treatment company, focused on sustainable development)
Public sector: Sô-Ava Town Hall
Civil Society: the collective of civil society organizations, bringing together more than 60 local NGOs.
Academic Sector: Université Laval (in partnership with the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin)
Results
social mobilization through awareness-raising on climate change issues (focus group meetings, theatre of the oppressed, posters, filmmaking, use of local radio, etc.).
bringing together actors at all levels of society on the issue of resilience to climate change: civil society, local authorities, ministerial authorities, universities and research centres, private companies, etc.
transfer and adaptation of water quality improvement technology,
installation of three water treatment systems
creation of three thematic citizen committees (sanitation, tree planting and water quality)
initiation of the establishment of a business ecosystem,
research on collaborative governance as a lever for the success of local development projects
successful initiatives on new farming methods
identification of other problems affecting the development of rural communities (lack of operational household solid waste management systems, access to clean water for more productive and sustainable agriculture that guarantees food security, etc.).
Despite the pandemic, the Climat'Eau project proceeded as planned until the end. In September 2020 a closing ceremony was held, celebrating results that exceeded expectations in several areas.
Thanks to the images collected during the project and at the end of the project, we will unveil on October 19th "Climat'Eau, the documentary"! This short documentary of 12 minutes will allow you to meet the actors of the project and to better understand the workings of such a project.
