Abdoulaye Sène

Abdoulaye Sène is Director of the Conflict Prevention and Resolution (PRC) Department at the International Institute of Geopolitical Studies (IIEG). A civil engineer specializing in hydraulics, he has over forty years of experience in water resources management, sanitation, territorial development, and water governance, from the local level to major international institutions.
His career is distinguished by a close integration of technical expertise, public governance, international cooperation, and water diplomacy. He currently serves as Chair of the Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP-WA) and contributes internationally to discussions and strategies focused on water security, climate resilience, and cooperation over water resources.
Abdoulaye Sène notably served as Co-Chair and Executive Secretary of the 9th World Water Forum, held in Dakar in 2022, where he coordinated its preparation and organization. He also contributed to the development of the “Dakar Blue Deal on Water Security for Peace and Development,” placing water-related challenges at the heart of peace, stability, and development issues.
His experience also encompasses senior institutional and political responsibilities in Senegal. He has served as Director of Hydraulics and Rural Engineering, Technical Adviser to the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water, President of the Fatick Regional Council, Member of the Senegalese National Assembly, and Chair of the Committee on Development and Territorial Planning. He also chaired the Board of Directors of SOGEM, the energy management company of the Senegal River Basin Development Organization (OMVS).
Throughout his career, he has developed specialized expertise in integrated water resources management, transboundary cooperation, hydro-diplomacy, climate resilience, the water-energy-food nexus, infrastructure financing, and public-private partnerships.
A civil engineering graduate of the École Polytechnique de Thiès, where he graduated at the top of its inaugural class, Abdoulaye Sène also holds a Master's degree in Water Resources Engineering from the École Polytechnique de Montréal. He further enhanced his qualifications through advanced training in water resources planning, management and conservation, sanitation, and large-scale project management.
As a lecturer, trainer, and international speaker, he contributes to knowledge sharing in hydraulics, water management, climate change, and sustainable development. His work focuses particularly on water security, infrastructure resilience, territorial development, and sustainable natural resources management.
An Officer of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal, Abdoulaye Sène has received several distinctions recognizing his professional achievements and commitment to water management and sustainable development.
As Director of the IIEG's Conflict Prevention and Resolution Department, his expertise contributes to developing an approach to crisis prevention that recognizes the interconnected challenges of natural resources, water security, climate change, transboundary cooperation, development, and territorial stability.