The water crisis has remained a huge challenge for Africa for centuries. Despite having 17 major river basins, over 160 lakes, and vast wetlands, the continent continues to struggle with water scarcity.
This paradox highlights the complex reality of Africa’s water management, where abundant resources are unevenly distributed and often poorly managed, leaving many communities without reliable access to clean water.
The Global Water Security 2023 Assessment, released during the United Nations 2023 Water Conference, revealed that all African nations are considered “water insecure.”
This alarming statistic means that nearly half of the 114 water-insecure countries in the world are in Africa.
The report underscores the urgent need for improved water infrastructure and policies across the continent to address the growing demand and worsening effects of climate change on water availability.
Three out of the five most “critically water insecure” countries in the world are in Africa – Eritrea, Sudan, and Ethiopia.
Africa also accounts for 22% of the world’s population struggling with severe water insecurity, representing about 1.4 billion people. A total of 13 African countries have been placed in this critical category.
“The water scarcity we’re facing isn’t just about having less water, it’s about how poorly we manage it,” said Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), during the launch of Africa’s State of Environment 2024 report in Nairobi, Kenya.
“We are water stressed not because it doesn’t rain or because our rivers are dry, but because of how we are managing the water we have.”
CSE’s report stresses that water security isn’t just about the amount of water a country has, but how well it is managed.
For example, the Democratic Republic of Congo has over 50% of Africa’s surface water reserves and holds about a quarter of the continent’s water resources.
The Congo River Basin, Africa’s largest river by volume, flows consistently throughout the year and covers almost the entire country, yet challenges persist due to poor management.
However, the report points out that despite Congo’s vast natural water resources, nearly three out of four of its 70 million citizens still lack access to safe drinking water.
This is worse than the Sub-Saharan Africa average, where only half of the population has access to clean and safe water.
This striking contrast highlights the gap between water availability and its effective distribution, showing that even in resource-rich countries, poor management and infrastructure failures leave millions without a basic necessity.
“Two major shifts have taken place in water management worldwide since the 19th century,” the State of Africa’s Environment 2024 report notes.
“First, the government has become the main provider of water, taking over from communities and households that used to manage and supply water on their own.”
This change has centralised control over water resources, moving away from traditional, community-led management systems that were more localised and often more responsive to the specific needs of the people.
“Two, there has been growing reliance on the use of surface and groundwater, while the earlier reliance on rainwater and floodwater has declined, even though rainwater and floodwater are available in much greater abundance than river water or groundwater.”
With climate change already worsening water scarcity and expected to make things even harder in the coming years, the CSE report suggests solutions like water harvesting and integrated land-water management.
These approaches focus on capturing and storing rainwater, while ensuring that land and water resources are managed together to make the most of the available supply and reduce vulnerability to droughts and floods.
The practice of collecting water where it falls is an ancient technique, but this “dying wisdom” must be revived and modernised with scientific and technological advancements to effectively, equitably, and sustainably meet today’s freshwater needs.
The report highlights that rainwater harvesting not only boosts water supplies but also engages the public in water management, making it a shared responsibility.
Involving communities reduces the pressure on the government to meet all water needs and cuts down on the need for subsidies, helping people understand the true costs of water, which can lead to more careful use.
Community participation is key for effectively managing local water resources, but this can only happen if a community-based system for managing natural resources is established.
Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment, stresses that to meet future water demands, we need to increase supply by focusing on rainwater harvesting.
This would help prevent floods, recharge groundwater, and make rural communities more resilient to changing rainfall patterns, while also helping cities manage water shortages.
In addition to increasing supply, Narain stresses the importance of managing water demand by using water more efficiently and minimising pollution.
Every drop of wastewater should be reused and recycled to ensure that no water goes to waste.
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