Urgent need for enhanced water management across Africa

A cornerstone in this endeavor is understanding the pivotal role that water plays in agriculture and food production. It serves not only personal and household needs but also plays a crucial role in energy and industrial processes, while simultaneously preserving water-dependent ecosystems and their invaluable services.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) highlights a significant statistic: despite the escalating use of water in non-agricultural sectors, agriculture remains the primary consumer, responsible for 70 percent of all global freshwater withdrawals through irrigation.

The challenge lies in striking a delicate balance between the pressing need for more efficient water use in agriculture and the undeniable role of irrigation in bolstering food production and rural incomes. According to the FAO, the key to achieving both increased water productivity and rural income growth lies in enhancing water management.

While large-scale water supply systems between 1970 and 1990 contributed to economic growth and drought mitigation, many countries in Africa and the Middle East (A&ME) now find themselves in a critical phase, consuming more water than their renewable supply. The focus has shifted to demand management, economic valuation, and efficient water allocation, with proposed strategies including water conservation in agriculture, conjunctive use of rain and groundwater, and low-cost decentralised options like rainwater harvesting.

In A&ME’s most water-scarce regions, particularly Northern Africa and the Middle East, significant investments are being made in mobilizing water resources. Despite abundant water resources, East and West Africa face water constraints, hindered by institutional and socioeconomic challenges that impede irrigation development. The humid tropics lack safe drinking water and sanitation, offering potential for small-scale irrigation systems, according to UNFCCC.

Southern Africa mirrors A&ME, grappling with water limits and potential crises in countries like Zimbabwe. South Africa, experiencing water stress, has implemented demand-side management, decentralization, and water harvesting for small-scale agriculture, aligning with policy options in A&ME.

The African Union (AU), in 2020, underscored the importance of consistent access to high-quality water for agricultural production as a pivotal hurdle in poverty elimination. Globally, governments and farmers are grappling with emerging challenges tied to water quality and quantity, influenced by population growth, urbanization, pollution, climate change, and intensified cross-sectoral competition for water resources.

Recognising these challenges, the AU emphasizes the need for enhanced water accountability and effective Agricultural Water Management (AWM) in Africa. The AU emphasises, “Improving water accountability and AWM to respond to these challenges and subsequently, contribute to livelihood improvements and drive economic development is a priority for the African continent.”