Foreword by Daniel Nyanganyura
Recognizing the critical role of water in supporting human livelihood, economic
growth and the very survival of the population, African governments developed the
Africa Water Vision, describing an Africa that exhibits equitable and sustainable use
and management of water resources for poverty alleviation, socioeconomic development, regional cooperation, and the environment. However, it is clear that this
vision will become reality only when a range of challenges is properly addressed
1 .
Moreover, the increasingly visible effects of climate change on water resources in
Africa are compounding the challenge.
Consistent with global warming patterns, Africa is already experiencing significant spatial and temporal rainfall variability, with resulting challenges in terms of
sustainable management of freshwater resources (Africa Water Vision for 2025,
UNECA).
Large rural and semi-arid regions of the Sahel, central and eastern Southern Africa,
and the Horn of Africa are at particular risk because they depend largely on rainfed
agriculture. Increased climate variability, including more intense droughts and floods,
increases temperatures, and reduces rainfall in these regions, putting these communities at significant risk. In particular, there is a need to protect the critical ‘water towers’
of central, west, and eastern Africa, (e.g., Congo forests; west Africa Fouta Djallon
mountain areas; Eastern Africa and Ethiopian highlands), as deforestation and poor
land-use management in these places have significantly decreased their effectiveness
as critical catchment areas. Their protection and restoration are therefore critically
important in order to secure continuous provisioning functions.
Recognizing the many weaknesses across the continent that complicate effective
responses to climate change (e.g., limited institutional capacity, the scale of poverty,
data scarcity, poor reliability of climate change models at local scale), immediate
action is needed to improve community and societal resilience to climate change.
Key approaches for good water management include alignment of water management
plans with national development and poverty reduction strategies as well as building
the required capacity to monitor and manage climate variability and its impacts.
1 Reference to African Union-United Nations Framework on Implementation of Agenda 2063 and
Agenda 2030 and Africa Water Vision for 2025, UNECA.
ix
Recognizing the critical role of water in supporting human livelihood, economic
growth and the very survival of the population, African governments developed the
Africa Water Vision, describing an Africa that exhibits equitable and sustainable use
and management of water resources for poverty alleviation, socioeconomic development, regional cooperation, and the environment. However, it is clear that this
vision will become reality only when a range of challenges is properly addressed
1 .
Moreover, the increasingly visible effects of climate change on water resources in
Africa are compounding the challenge.
Consistent with global warming patterns, Africa is already experiencing significant spatial and temporal rainfall variability, with resulting challenges in terms of
sustainable management of freshwater resources (Africa Water Vision for 2025,
UNECA).
Large rural and semi-arid regions of the Sahel, central and eastern Southern Africa,
and the Horn of Africa are at particular risk because they depend largely on rainfed
agriculture. Increased climate variability, including more intense droughts and floods,
increases temperatures, and reduces rainfall in these regions, putting these communities at significant risk. In particular, there is a need to protect the critical ‘water towers’
of central, west, and eastern Africa, (e.g., Congo forests; west Africa Fouta Djallon
mountain areas; Eastern Africa and Ethiopian highlands), as deforestation and poor
land-use management in these places have significantly decreased their effectiveness
as critical catchment areas. Their protection and restoration are therefore critically
important in order to secure continuous provisioning functions.
Recognizing the many weaknesses across the continent that complicate effective
responses to climate change (e.g., limited institutional capacity, the scale of poverty,
data scarcity, poor reliability of climate change models at local scale), immediate
action is needed to improve community and societal resilience to climate change.
Key approaches for good water management include alignment of water management
plans with national development and poverty reduction strategies as well as building
the required capacity to monitor and manage climate variability and its impacts.
1 Reference to African Union-United Nations Framework on Implementation of Agenda 2063 and
Agenda 2030 and Africa Water Vision for 2025, UNECA.
ix