Introduction to Water and Politics in Africa

Welcome to my blog Hydro-Power: Water and Politics in Africa. It is here that I hope to discuss some of the challenges facing the provisioning of water in Africa, particularly given the complexity and diversity of this large continent, not just environmentally but also politically. I come from a background in urban planning which explores a wide range issues that urban and rural settings may face in which we try to develop ways to overcome these issues, usually through policy implementation. A topic within urban planning that is often at the forefront of debates is infrastructure provisioning, reflecting some of the topics discussed in this module.

Water is essential for life, not just for direct consumption, but also for growing the food we eat and for various economic activities as with any society. It’s also a natural resource with extreme variance in availability depending on the area. Figure 1 shows the amount of potentially available water that can be used for harvesting. In addition to this, water sources are susceptible to contamination if not cared for appropriately which can lead to major health issues within communities. It’s these factors among others that make water such a valuable resource and warrants effective management to ensure everyone has equitable access to water for generations to come.

Figure 1 – Annual water balance of Africa which means the available harvestable water from runoff after evapotranspiration.  UNEP (2012)

Inevitably, this is easier said than done. As with any valuable resource, managing it effectively and in a lot of cases, equitably, can be extremely difficult and is vulnerable to becoming wrapped up in political agendas and tactics. It also raises questions regarding who should be providing the water in the first place. Is it the obligation of government to provide these basic needs? In which case, is it acceptable to commodify a resource of this nature given its necessity for human survival? That being said, not all the water we consume goes to sustaining our existence, such as filling up a swimming pool or washing a car.

Throughout this blog I hope to draw from a number case studies in order to explore these concerns further. Specifically the relationship between the public and private sectors when managing such a resource, and how the political realities may have either aided or impeded this process.

Reference List:

UNEP (2012) Africa Water Atlas (Executive Summary)