African Water Development Report 2006 - United Nations Economic ...

tion increase needed by 2025. The irony is thathigh levels of food insecurity occur while mostAfrican countries have substantial underutilizedpotential for irrigation expansion, especially forrain-fed agriculture (UNECA, 2001).The threat to environmental sustainability is duein part to failure to recognize the life-supportingfunctions of ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic).In effect, the water quantity and quality requirementsof ecosystems are not normally taken intoaccount in the overall allocation of available waterresources in much of Africa. Hence the importantrole played by wetlands in many ruraleconomies (in the provision of highly productiveagricultural land, dry season grazing for migrantherd, fish, fuel wood, timber needs and medicines)until recently, has not been adequately recognizedand reflected in national water policies.As a result, such wetlands are increasingly beingendangered by poor cultivation, deforestationand overgrazing.Threats to environmental sustainability. Thesethreats emanate from negligence of environmentalsustainability and the life-supporting functionsof terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems whichare not normally taken into account when makingwater policy and allocating water resources inAfrica. This results in non-protection of fragileecosystems such as wetlands whose overexploitationand poor cultivation leads to overgrazing aswell as de-humidification, contrary to the DublinPrinciples of 1992. The conversion of land forvarious uses, including agriculture with the focuson export crops dominated by men using extensiveagricultural methods to the detriment of subsistencefarming dominated by women sometimesdo not take account of the water and other ecologicalneeds of such land. Other threats resultingfrom a combination of factors include: soil erosionwhich is acute in areas with dense humansettlements; inadequate or inappropriate cultivationmethods; loss of soil fertility due to soilmining and declining soil organic matter; harvestingof fuelwood which heightens deforestationand thus reduces groundwater levels in aridareas; poor management of drylands, particularlyin areas of high population growth, causing increaseddesertification; and direct human actionon water such as pollution and over-abstractionof surface water which affect quality and flow, reducethe consumptive uses and self-purificationcapacity of water and exacerbate saltwater intrusionwhich affects land productivityFrom Vision to ActionAchieving the Africa Water Vision requires watergovernance, wisdom, meeting water needsand financing for a sound water future. The 2025target itself calls for the following: transparency,accountability and participation in decision makingfor water; information and knowledge sharing;inter-country cooperation and team work;planning and programmimg; financing and equitableand consumer-friendly cost recovery; andpolitical commitment and grassroots support.The general socio-economic development of Africancountries depends, to a very large extent,on these countries’ ability to effectively harnesstheir water resources to solve their people’s waterand sanitation needs. The guidelines for achievingthese are spelt out in the Africa Water Visionand the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) adopted by the international community.These documents acknowledge the centraland crosscutting role of water in achieving thesetargets for a society with reduced poverty, hungerand preventable diseases, while maintainingenvironmental sustainability.Managing Water for Sustainable DevelopmentThe essential role of water in socio-economic developmenthas just been mentioned. Such a developmentrequires appropriately managing waterresources to ensure water use for all purposesin order to achieve harmonious economic, socialand environmental goals for the sustainable de-INTRODUCTION - WATER FOR SUSTAINABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT11