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A. Vushe
1 Introduction
Africa is warming faster than average warming in the rest of the world, with a
projected increase of 3 to 4 °C in the twenty-first century, which may cause considerable economic challenges for the continent (UNEP 2016). In some areas, warming is
likely to reduce crop yields and livestock productivity, cause water scarcity, increase
food insecurity, and increase reliance on food imports. Extreme weather and climate
events such as droughts and floods are expected to be more frequent, with negative impacts on human life and health (UNEP 2013). Climate change may also lead
to change in wildlife migration patterns due to habitat loss (UNECA 2014), thus
increasing human-wildlife conflict. Demand for freshwater is increasing with the
rising population and economic development, and at the same time freshwater is
under threat from pollution and climate change. While some progress has been made
to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation, Africa remains plagued with
waterborne diseases, such as cholera.
Competition for water resources is driving prices and local-level conflicts between
communities with freshwater-dependent economic activities. Cooperation at the
national and regional levels and between sectors and use of appropriate technologies
can be an important intervention for conflict reduction and sustainable management of water resources in the continent. The adoption of polices and strategies to
integrate river basin management approaches and consider management of surface
water and groundwater resources as single systems would help African countries
to prudently manage land and water resources (World Bank 2006). Several transboundary rivers in Africa are now managed by river basin organizations, which advise
governments on utilization of water resources in their respective river basins, and
hence modeling and coordinated management using globally successful approaches
may increase the effectiveness of water resource management for economic development in Africa. For example, in China, river basin organizations hold legal status
and development projects are required to be consistent with their plans, and in
Italy, a 1989 law conferred river basin management as a formal government unit
to regulate the programs of various sectoral and regional institutions (World Bank
2006). River basin management committees and institutions in riparian states that
drive research and synchronize policy formulation must align objectives to build
resilience to impacts of climate change. Understanding climate change and variability, the water, energy, food (WEF) nexus, and the urgency of providing robust
and resilient solutions requires immediate, industrious, and intensive efforts to mobilize African political will, financial and human resources to effectively implement
optimal solutions.
Africa has been slowly industrializing, has to diversify the region’s economies,
build resilience to shocks, and develop productive capacity for sustained economic
growth. This commitment to industrial development led to the adoption of the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in 2001. Economic transformation
through industrialization is a guiding principle of NEPAD as a critical vehicle for
economic growth and poverty reduction. Also, in 2008, the Plan of Action for the
A. Vushe
1 Introduction
Africa is warming faster than average warming in the rest of the world, with a
projected increase of 3 to 4 °C in the twenty-first century, which may cause considerable economic challenges for the continent (UNEP 2016). In some areas, warming is
likely to reduce crop yields and livestock productivity, cause water scarcity, increase
food insecurity, and increase reliance on food imports. Extreme weather and climate
events such as droughts and floods are expected to be more frequent, with negative impacts on human life and health (UNEP 2013). Climate change may also lead
to change in wildlife migration patterns due to habitat loss (UNECA 2014), thus
increasing human-wildlife conflict. Demand for freshwater is increasing with the
rising population and economic development, and at the same time freshwater is
under threat from pollution and climate change. While some progress has been made
to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation, Africa remains plagued with
waterborne diseases, such as cholera.
Competition for water resources is driving prices and local-level conflicts between
communities with freshwater-dependent economic activities. Cooperation at the
national and regional levels and between sectors and use of appropriate technologies
can be an important intervention for conflict reduction and sustainable management of water resources in the continent. The adoption of polices and strategies to
integrate river basin management approaches and consider management of surface
water and groundwater resources as single systems would help African countries
to prudently manage land and water resources (World Bank 2006). Several transboundary rivers in Africa are now managed by river basin organizations, which advise
governments on utilization of water resources in their respective river basins, and
hence modeling and coordinated management using globally successful approaches
may increase the effectiveness of water resource management for economic development in Africa. For example, in China, river basin organizations hold legal status
and development projects are required to be consistent with their plans, and in
Italy, a 1989 law conferred river basin management as a formal government unit
to regulate the programs of various sectoral and regional institutions (World Bank
2006). River basin management committees and institutions in riparian states that
drive research and synchronize policy formulation must align objectives to build
resilience to impacts of climate change. Understanding climate change and variability, the water, energy, food (WEF) nexus, and the urgency of providing robust
and resilient solutions requires immediate, industrious, and intensive efforts to mobilize African political will, financial and human resources to effectively implement
optimal solutions.
Africa has been slowly industrializing, has to diversify the region’s economies,
build resilience to shocks, and develop productive capacity for sustained economic
growth. This commitment to industrial development led to the adoption of the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in 2001. Economic transformation
through industrialization is a guiding principle of NEPAD as a critical vehicle for
economic growth and poverty reduction. Also, in 2008, the Plan of Action for the