Sharing invisible resources in the age of climate change : a transboundary groundwater sharing agreement in Sahel, Africa, analysed through Ostrom’s design principles for collective action

Sammanfattning: With climate change and increasing populations, water availability is becoming even more important in the region of Sahel, Africa, where droughts have plagued the states for centuries. In response to this growing concern, seven Sahelian states have initiated cooperation over their shared groundwater resources, an action that is still quite unique globally, given the overlooked status of groundwater. This paper analyses their agreement using Elinor Ostrom’s framework for sustainable collective management of common-pool resources. It concludes that, although the agreement reflects progressive intentions, the attention towards the local levels of governance is insufficient. This conclusion is important specifically for the future of this agreement, and generally feeds into a discussion of governance of larger-scale, transboundary CPRs.