Africa's future runs on water. So treat it as essential infrastructure

"Crises in Africa rarely begin with politics alone. They often start with water — too little, too dirty, or unfairly shared. Droughts push pastoralists off their land, floods wash away markets and schools, and in both cases, families are left more vulnerable to displacement, hunger and conflict. The Sahel has seen farmers and herders clash as rainfall patterns shift; in Southern Africa, dry taps in cities have fuelled unrest and forced rationing."

"When water fails, economies and social contracts fail, too. This fragility is structural. Nearly 95 percent of Africa's agricultural land is still rain-fed, leaving harvests at the mercy of climate swings. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that water security is under mounting pressure from multiple directions. Adaptation will be impossible unless water is placed at the heart of planning, shaping what is built, how it is financed, and who makes the decisions."

"When fields dry out or taps run dry, it is families, especially women and girls, who absorb the shock. They do so not in abstract numbers, but in hours walked, classes missed and opportunities lost. UNICEF estimates women and girls spend around 200 million hours every day collecting water, time that could be spent learning, earning or leading. The inequity extends well beyond water collection."

Water shortages and contamination drive displacement, hunger, and conflict across Africa, with droughts forcing pastoralists off land and floods destroying markets and schools. Shifts in rainfall have intensified clashes between farmers and herders in the Sahel, while urban water shortages in Southern Africa have provoked unrest and rationing. Nearly 95 percent of Africa's agricultural land remains rain‑fed, leaving harvests vulnerable to climate variability. The IPCC warns that water security faces mounting pressures, and adaptation requires placing water at the center of planning, financing, and local decision‑making. Women and girls disproportionately bear the burden, spending roughly 200 million hours daily collecting water.

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