Kinglo Mahougbe August Abdon
Assistant Project Officer UNESCO
August Abdon Kinglo is a hydrogeologist, water-policy researcher, and youth leader committed to advancing water security, cooperation, and inclusive governance. He holds a Ph.D. in Water and Earth Sciences from the University of Montpellier, France, and 2iE, Burkina Faso. His research, supported by the French Research Institute for Development (IRD) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), advances sustainable groundwater management across West Africa. His experience spans hydrogeological field projects, international research programmes, and UNESCO’s work on groundwater governance and water cooperation. August translates scientific evidence into practical, policy-relevant solutions for groundwater sustainability, transboundary aquifer governance, SDG 6.5.2 monitoring, equitable water access, and WASH challenges affecting vulnerable, displaced, and climate-affected communities. As Chair of the IWA Young Water Professionals Chapter in Burkina Faso and a member of the Young Scientific Programme Committee for World Water Week 2026, he mobilizes and connects young professionals, scientists, policymakers, humanitarian actors, and development partners. He also contributed to stakeholder consultations preparing for the UN Water Conference and served as rapporteur for discussions supporting Interactive Dialogue A, ensuring youth and civil-society perspectives inform discussions on Water for People and Cooperation. Through the Global Youth Water Envoys Programme, August will bring Africa’s groundwater realities to the Dialogue, advocate meaningful youth engagement, and support inclusive, science-informed commitments that leave no one behind.