In the context of supporting the water management and development guidelines (French acronym SDAGE) for the River Congo, and in particular the section on “the promotion of non-state stakeholder participation”, a game has been designed that helps to share the issues and disseminate the principles of integrated water resource management.

The game, Prosper’eau is the result of a workshop held at the headquarters of the International Congo-Oubangui Basin Commission (CICOS) in Kinshasa, from 25 to 27 February 2014. It brought together non-state representatives from the CICOS member states, the International Secretariat for Water, the Office international de l’eau, Eau Vive and the General Secretariat of CICOS.

Prosper’eau targets stakeholders in the Congo River basin and thus in particular those people who depend on the river resources for their livelihoods (water, fish, biodiversity) and for the facilities it provides (transport, energy). The aim: to bring to people’s attention, through a dynamic and fun process, the fact that the Congo River can bring prosperity if it is managed in an integrated and balanced manner and if the efforts to do so are shared.

An overview of the game!

The Prosper’eau board presents a large map of the Congo River Basin, on which the main uses of the river are represented.

The players divide into three teams (the inhabitants, service providers and politicians) on three sides of the board. The fourth side is for CICOS.

Based on a script which describes an issue facing the basin and its impacts, each group sets up actions by placing cards on the board. These actions show each group’s willingness to take action in a cooperative or individualistic manner. The cooperative manner corresponds in particular to the use of “CICOS” cards. A round lasts 20 minutes. At the end of the game, the mediator assesses the results with the players: are we on the road to shared prosperity or headed towards an impasse?

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