The United States is working toward a vision of a water-secure world in which individuals and countries have reliable and sustainable access to an acceptable quantity and quality of water to meet human, livelihood, ecosystem, and production needs while reducing the risks of extreme hydrological events to people, the environment, and economies. As part of these efforts and to implement the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-121), the Office of Environmental Policy of the Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science (OES) at the Department of State announces an open competition to a) strengthen the capacity of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) secretariat to effectively address critical water sector issues in Africa and b) facilitate the engagement of U.S.-based foundations, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the private sector in Africa on water and sanitation issues.This announcement invites organizations to submit proposals addressing those objectives. Total funding available is $198,000 with Economic Support Funds. The Bureau will fund one award. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), research institutions, U.S. colleges and universities, or consortia with experience in the region are eligible to submit proposals.Through this cooperative agreement, the AMCOW secretariat will gain capacity to serve as a platform for information on African water issues, for research and dissemination of results, and for active coordination of water policy and practice concerns in member countries. The grantee (an institution or consortium) will support AMCOWs development through secretariat support, capacity building, and by catalyzing new activities in partnership with academic, private sector, and civil society institutions; this will, in turn, reduce transaction costs for research, projects, and pilot programs.Contact Person: Federico San MartiniBureau of Oceans, Environment, and
[email protected]: (202) 647-3819Fax: (202) 647-1052