2 Africa-Wide Trends in Development and Water …
27
or bovine production. For Laos, this would require an increase in pasture land of
up to 47% for grazing livestock. If we were to lose the free flowing and healthy
rivers and catchments of Africa, would we be able to replace the lost protein and
micro-nutrients?
Better allocation of resources at system scale will lead to a greener development future. Decisions regarding where, how and when to carry out agriculture, manufacturing, mining or urbanization across Africa must be considered
through the nexus lens. In addition, green, blue or grey water footprint implications must be taken into account. Africa needs to meet minimum development
thresholds without exceeding ecological thresholds to feed and power the continent. Africa should benefit from being behind more developed continents on the
development curve, by avoiding the mistakes developed economies have made in
their development-environment trade-offs.
It is essential to develop governance mechanisms and institutions that support
responsive and coherent local resource-use planning, while optimizing nexus
trade-offs at the national level. The greatest tension between a country’s early
development decisions and its later resilience lies in the stewardship of each nation’s
natural capital. Some depletion of natural assets may be a necessary early strategy
to create greater security of livelihoods. But soil quality, freshwater availability
and quality, and forest resources all make fundamental contributions to a nation’s
productivity. New sources of insecurity, and enduring, weakened resilience emerge
from continued economic dependence on the destruction of natural capital. Resilient
economic systems are those that benefit from, reinforce and replenish the natural
systems on which they ultimately depend.
Water-related investment choices made over the next decade will have a
substantial influence on the long-term development trajectory of African countries. Trade-offs among water for agriculture, energy, cities and manufacturing will
emerge increasingly. It is imperative that decisions regarding water resources across
Africa take into account the impact of the water, energy and food nexus within
countries as well as within the continent. Healthy, free-flowing rivers and freshwater
habitats must support the sustainability Africa’s water, energy and food in the face
of growing resource demands that are compounded by climate risks.
References
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) (2017) Africa agriculture status report: the
business of smallholder agriculture in sub-saharan Africa (5)
Cameron K (2010) Putting a value on Mau Forest. https://www.cabi.org/environmentalimpact/news/
21066
Conway D, Curran P, Gannon K (2018) Policy brief climate risks to hydropower supply in Eastern
and Southern Africa. http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Cli
mate-risks-to-hydropower-supply-in-eastern-and-southern-Africa_Conway-et-al.pdf
Darwall W, Smith K, Allen D, Holland R, Harrison I, Brooks E (eds) (2011) The diversity of life
in African freshwaters: under water, under threat. an analysis of the status and distribution of
27
or bovine production. For Laos, this would require an increase in pasture land of
up to 47% for grazing livestock. If we were to lose the free flowing and healthy
rivers and catchments of Africa, would we be able to replace the lost protein and
micro-nutrients?
Better allocation of resources at system scale will lead to a greener development future. Decisions regarding where, how and when to carry out agriculture, manufacturing, mining or urbanization across Africa must be considered
through the nexus lens. In addition, green, blue or grey water footprint implications must be taken into account. Africa needs to meet minimum development
thresholds without exceeding ecological thresholds to feed and power the continent. Africa should benefit from being behind more developed continents on the
development curve, by avoiding the mistakes developed economies have made in
their development-environment trade-offs.
It is essential to develop governance mechanisms and institutions that support
responsive and coherent local resource-use planning, while optimizing nexus
trade-offs at the national level. The greatest tension between a country’s early
development decisions and its later resilience lies in the stewardship of each nation’s
natural capital. Some depletion of natural assets may be a necessary early strategy
to create greater security of livelihoods. But soil quality, freshwater availability
and quality, and forest resources all make fundamental contributions to a nation’s
productivity. New sources of insecurity, and enduring, weakened resilience emerge
from continued economic dependence on the destruction of natural capital. Resilient
economic systems are those that benefit from, reinforce and replenish the natural
systems on which they ultimately depend.
Water-related investment choices made over the next decade will have a
substantial influence on the long-term development trajectory of African countries. Trade-offs among water for agriculture, energy, cities and manufacturing will
emerge increasingly. It is imperative that decisions regarding water resources across
Africa take into account the impact of the water, energy and food nexus within
countries as well as within the continent. Healthy, free-flowing rivers and freshwater
habitats must support the sustainability Africa’s water, energy and food in the face
of growing resource demands that are compounded by climate risks.
References
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) (2017) Africa agriculture status report: the
business of smallholder agriculture in sub-saharan Africa (5)
Cameron K (2010) Putting a value on Mau Forest. https://www.cabi.org/environmentalimpact/news/
21066
Conway D, Curran P, Gannon K (2018) Policy brief climate risks to hydropower supply in Eastern
and Southern Africa. http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Cli
mate-risks-to-hydropower-supply-in-eastern-and-southern-Africa_Conway-et-al.pdf
Darwall W, Smith K, Allen D, Holland R, Harrison I, Brooks E (eds) (2011) The diversity of life
in African freshwaters: under water, under threat. an analysis of the status and distribution of