By Jean-Paul Adam
Delivering water resilience in Africa is fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Like with most of the Sustainable Development Goals, the world is off track to achieve the appropriate reliable and affordable access to potable water. In Africa, this is further complicated in conflict affected regions and by the ever growing impact of climate change on water systems.
Analysis by the World Meteorological Orgnisation () has shown a worrying correlation between conflict areas and regions heavily impacted by climate related disaster events especially droughts and floods, leading to forced migration.
Increased collaboration among African countries on shared water sources is critical- and there are numerous examples of positive cooperation structures to achieve this. Trans boundary water cooperation under the world water convention provides the overall framing. There are positive regional initiatives such as the SADC protocol provides the framework for trans boundary water cooperation in the Southern African region. Unfortunately water resources across the continent are unevenly distributed with the 27 water poorest African countries holding only 7% of the resources.
Further investing in multi country water management systems is a critical ingredient to deliver on the nexus between peace and development. This requires investment in the appropriate infrastructure requirements to ensure appropriate management of the shared water basin resources, and the infrastructure required for delivery at community level.
The appropriate policy and legislative framing is also a critical enabling factor for delivery of ‘water for peace’.
Beyond these essential building blocks, we must also ensure appropriate attention is given to Africa’s nature based assets as ‘infrastructure’ to underpin ‘water for peace’. The most effective water systems are constructed on the basis of understanding and harnessing nature based systems. Effective wetland management for example can play a critical role in both ensuring the protection of vital water sources while also reducing the risk of flooding.
Factoring in climate change impacts is crucial for effectively managing and harnessing natural assets in a way that promotes resilience. For example, the El Ni?o effect, exacerbated by climate change has recently had dramatic effects on hydropower generation in Lake Kariba dam in Southern Africa. The opportunities to harness the benefits of nature for resilience, including in water systems, are also explored in a recent ECA report on developing national nature systems (). Ultimately, developing resilient water systems which contribute to peaceful societies depends on active investment in nature systems.
We need more African-driven frameworks that leverage international cooperation and investment to deliver resilience and harness the peace dividend. The initiative - a Western Indian Ocean (WIO)-born, Africa- driven roadmap to achieve a nature- positive world by 2030, is an example of cooperation among African coastal states and African islands to deliver protection of natural oceanic resources and strengthen livelihoods. African Governments leading the initiaitve include the Union of Comoros, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Madagascar, the Republic of Mauritius, the Republic of Mozambique, the Republic of Seychelles, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania While the primary focus is delivering protection of biodiversity aligned with the , the initiative recognizes the inter linkage between natural eco-system services and the creation of wealth and delivery of resilience. This includes consideration of the role of coastal communities in the protection of critical resources for water systems, such as mangroves. Mangroves are essential buffers that help reduce salt water intrusion into coastal water systems for example. Building this ‘Great Blue Wall’ is an ambitious attempt to recognize the critical contribution of Africa’s natural infrastructure. And this can be extended further build livelihoods that contribute to the protection of water systems- underlining their role to deliver peace across the continent.
Protecting natural systems, particularly coastal fisheries, relies heavily on ensuring sustainable livelihoods for those who act as stewards of these ecosystems. This involves establishing sustainable value chains around coastal fisheries, which can be facilitated by investing in various forms of infrastructure and providing access to finance. Two examples of such infrastructure are sustainable energy systems and cold storage facilities. Additionally, the success of eco-tourism relies on maintaining healthy and pristine natural environments. Therefore, communities engaged in eco-tourism have a vested interest in preserving their ecosystems, as degraded environments would diminish the attractiveness of their tourism offerings. This creates direct incentives for conservation efforts and sustainable resource management.Focusing on community-led livelihoods also requires empowering women entrepreneurs through capacity building and predictable access to capital.
Ultimately, long term protection and enhancement of water systems must be built on a fundamental understanding of the role of ‘nature’s infrastructure’ in delivering resilience and generation of wealth and livelihoods. By recognizing and valuing the role of water in delivering resilience and livelihood opportunities, communities can develop strategies that leverage natural resources in a sustainable manner. This requires a fundamental shift in perspective towards viewing water as a valuable asset and investing in its preservation and restoration for the benefit of present and future generations.