Hell or high water

Kofi Annan, the statesman and former secretary-general of the UN, declared in 2001 that “access to safe water is a fundamental human need, and therefore a basic human right”. In the 17 years between that declaration and his death in 2018, Annan established the millennium development goals, the precursor to today’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), which include halving the number of people without access to water.

Annan spoke of the challenges, noting that “the battle for safe drinking water, sanitation, and basic healthcare” was critical to fighting infectious disease, and warned  that “fierce competition for fresh water may well become a source of conflict and wars in the future”. But he tempered that caution with a statement of optimism: “The water problems facing our world need not be only a cause of tension; they can also be a catalyst for co-operation.”

At a recent conference hosted by Harvard University’s Centre for African Studies the issue of water was re-examined through the lens of health, climate and agriculture, and migration and human rights, with an eye on the theme: Africa’s Water Opportunity: Science, Sustainability & Solutions. As keynote speaker Martin Fregene of the African Development Bank resolutely stated: “Endorsing the right to water is not a silver bullet, it does not automatically address the universal access to water and sanitation in Africa. But it is a powerful tool that, if properly used, can focus attention and resources on improving access to water for those individuals and communities who constantly endure the hardships imposed by the limited access to safe water.”

Recognition alone of water as a human right is not enough to drive access and sustainability. It is nevertheless important that we remember water as a human right in our discussions about opportunities and pathways forward.

A number of findings were made at the conference. The first was the importance of engaging all stakeholders in the development of national and regional water policies as well as in the management of water resources. From communities to national governments, from farmers to healthcare workers, from scientists to international NGOs, it is critical for Africa’s water agenda that everyone have a seat at the table.

Water can be a cause of division — more wars have been fought over water and natural resources than for any other reason. But water is also a unifier —and the subject of more international agreements and treaties than any other theme. To address Africa’s water opportunity in the 21st century the next generation of leaders must be developed in academia, research, and policymakers.

Another finding is that water cuts across all issues It cannot be separated from the 16 other SDGs. Water for agricultural purposes is central to SDG2, which targets zero hunger. Achieving SDG4, quality education, cannot be met without access to bathroom and sanitation facilities at schools. SDG10, reducing inequality, cannot be met when a quarter of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa travels for a half-hour or more to collect water. We cannot separate water from the discussion about national, regional, and global development agendas. Water is an anchor that must be at the centre of these discussions and policy developments.

We also identified a need for greater investment in research that can inform evidence-based policy. The effects of a changing climate will be variable; some places will be susceptible to more rainfall and flooding while others will experience more severe and longer droughts. The need for improved metrics around water resources and depletion rates will only increase, and these data points are essential for designing approaches to conserve resources. Apollos Nwafor of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa noted: “Being futuristic means we should be able to consider policies that are predictable and that are anticipating what might be, based on data. Data helps us understand how we not just build back better, but how we grow.” Gathering evidence and data helps better planning and action by governments and policymakers.

Expanded and creative models of financing investment in Africa’s water resources and infrastructure today is critical to avoid long-term costs and consequences. Making the choice to invest today in sustainable water solutions avoids the healthcare costs of tomorrow, and we need resilient solutions that will stand the test of a changing climate and evolving agricultural needs. Locally driven solutions are also important to adapt to unique circumstances and gain community support. There is also an opportunity for the private sector to be a partner to government in thinking about sustainable water resources and access to sanitation, without privatising the water industry for profit.

These solutions are the collective thinking of the nearly two dozen presenters and moderators from academia and international NGOs including the UN International Children's Emergency Fund), the African Ministers’ Council on Water, and the African Development Bank. They are the key to clean and sustainable water as a human right and to advancing Africa’s development agenda.

• Fawzi is interim Oppenheimer Faculty director and Taylor executive director, at the Harvard Centre for African Studies.