18
H. Baleta et al.
Demands for and impacts on water resources are likely to increase rapidly
as Africa’s economy grows, people become more affluent, cities expand and the
climate changes. These drivers are likely to have a negative impact on the quality
of water available across the continent. Population growth alone will continue to
drive increased water demand. Africa’s population growth rate is relatively high,
particularly in west, central and eastern Africa, where predicted annual population
growth rates are over 2.5%. This population growth will place increasing pressure on
water resources, particularly in countries that are already facing water stress in West
and East Africa (WWF and IFC n.d). As Africa’s economy grows, people become
more affluent, triggering changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns that are more
resource-intensive, similar to that in developed nations. As a result of both population and economic growth, surface and groundwater are vulnerable to a range of
water quality impacts across the continent. For instance, in 2001 nearly 500 million
hectares of land were moderately to severely degraded due to population pressure,
destructive inappropriate land use, poor land management and agricultural practices
and drought (UNECA 2006). Land degradation causes turbidity, poor agricultural
practices contribute to eutrophication, and poor sanitation and solid waste management result in pollution of water resources located close to dense settlements or
industrial zones. Mining, although not widespread throughout the continent, has
driven significant water quality challenges. Examples of this are the Vaal River in
South Africa, downstream of gold mining areas (Ochieng et al. 2010), and the Mara
Wetlands in Tanzania, downstream of the Mara Mines (O’Sullivan et al. 2016). Often
these negative water quality impacts take place in vulnerable ecosystems including
wetlands that are under particular threat from agricultural production, mining and
urban sprawl (WWF and IFC n.d) (Fig. 5).
Due to the variations in measurement, water quality is much harder to map than
water availability. In addition, there is little monitoring of raw water quality across the
continent. This means that there is a lack of data on existing pollution and pollutants,
and very poor tracking of more recently appreciated pollutants, such as endocrine
disruptors.
2 Africa’s Biodiversity
Pressure on Africa’s unique and, in many places, largely intact freshwater habitats and biodiversity is increasing as the continent’s population and economies
continue to grow and develop. People living across Africa are fundamentally dependent upon the health of their ecosystems, in particular rivers and healthy freshwater
systems, for subsistence agriculture and fisheries. The livelihoods of 70% of the continent’s population is in agriculture as smallholder farmers working on parcels of land
that are, on average, less than two hectares (AGRA 2017). These ecosystems require
continued protection and sustainable management. As a result of developments taking
place across the continent, Africa’s aquatic ecosystems face a range of threats, from
urbanization, deforestation, introduction of exotic plants and animals into rivers,
H. Baleta et al.
Demands for and impacts on water resources are likely to increase rapidly
as Africa’s economy grows, people become more affluent, cities expand and the
climate changes. These drivers are likely to have a negative impact on the quality
of water available across the continent. Population growth alone will continue to
drive increased water demand. Africa’s population growth rate is relatively high,
particularly in west, central and eastern Africa, where predicted annual population
growth rates are over 2.5%. This population growth will place increasing pressure on
water resources, particularly in countries that are already facing water stress in West
and East Africa (WWF and IFC n.d). As Africa’s economy grows, people become
more affluent, triggering changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns that are more
resource-intensive, similar to that in developed nations. As a result of both population and economic growth, surface and groundwater are vulnerable to a range of
water quality impacts across the continent. For instance, in 2001 nearly 500 million
hectares of land were moderately to severely degraded due to population pressure,
destructive inappropriate land use, poor land management and agricultural practices
and drought (UNECA 2006). Land degradation causes turbidity, poor agricultural
practices contribute to eutrophication, and poor sanitation and solid waste management result in pollution of water resources located close to dense settlements or
industrial zones. Mining, although not widespread throughout the continent, has
driven significant water quality challenges. Examples of this are the Vaal River in
South Africa, downstream of gold mining areas (Ochieng et al. 2010), and the Mara
Wetlands in Tanzania, downstream of the Mara Mines (O’Sullivan et al. 2016). Often
these negative water quality impacts take place in vulnerable ecosystems including
wetlands that are under particular threat from agricultural production, mining and
urban sprawl (WWF and IFC n.d) (Fig. 5).
Due to the variations in measurement, water quality is much harder to map than
water availability. In addition, there is little monitoring of raw water quality across the
continent. This means that there is a lack of data on existing pollution and pollutants,
and very poor tracking of more recently appreciated pollutants, such as endocrine
disruptors.
2 Africa’s Biodiversity
Pressure on Africa’s unique and, in many places, largely intact freshwater habitats and biodiversity is increasing as the continent’s population and economies
continue to grow and develop. People living across Africa are fundamentally dependent upon the health of their ecosystems, in particular rivers and healthy freshwater
systems, for subsistence agriculture and fisheries. The livelihoods of 70% of the continent’s population is in agriculture as smallholder farmers working on parcels of land
that are, on average, less than two hectares (AGRA 2017). These ecosystems require
continued protection and sustainable management. As a result of developments taking
place across the continent, Africa’s aquatic ecosystems face a range of threats, from
urbanization, deforestation, introduction of exotic plants and animals into rivers,