United Nations
Economic Commission for Africa
African Development Bank African Development Fund
Eighth Annual Meeting of the
Interagency Group for Water in Africa (IGWA) 25-27 A^ril 2001, Niamey, Niger
E/ECA/RCID/011/01
FROM VISION TO ACTION:
A STRATEGY FOR MOBILISING PARTNERSHIPS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE AFRICAN WATER VISION 2025
A JOINT WORKING PAPER BY
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
ECA/RCID/014/01
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
1. BACKGROUND 1
1.1 Report of the OAU Secretary General and Draft Resolution. 3 1.2 Assignment of Institutional Responsibilities 3
2. GOALS OF THE AFRICAN WATER VISION 2025 3
3. PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION 6
3.1 Strengthening Governance of Water Resources 6
3.2 Improving Water Wisdom 7
3.3 Meeting Urgent Water Needs 7
3.4 Strengthening Financial Base for Desired Water Future 7
4. ELEMENTS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY 7
4.1 Building Awareness and Consensus 8
4.2 Creating Enabling Environment for
International Cooperation 8
4.3 Responding to Immediate Water Problems 8
4.4 Creating Framework for Integrated Water Resources
Management 9
4.5 Building Capacity' 9
4.6 Identifying Vision Drivers 9
4.7 Socioeconomic Factors 10
4.8 Demographic Factors 10
4.9 Environmental Factors 10
4.10 Governance 10
4.11 Technology 10
PAGE
5. PROGRAMME AND PROJECT PROPOSAL 11
6. MOBILIZING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RESOURCES 13
7. PARTNERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES 14
ANNEXES:
ANNEX I Draft Report of the Secretary-General of the
Organization of African Unity 1-9
ANNEX II Draft Resolution on African Water Vision
for 2025 and framework for action 10-11 ANNEX III Statements - Africa Caucus Day by:
- Dr. K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary of the
Economic Commission for Africa 12-15
- Mr. Omar Kabbaj, President of the
African Development Bank 16-23
1. BACKGROUND
The World Water Council organized the Second World Water Forum (WWF). It provided an opportunity for developing a provocative and challenging Vision for the
future, based on the best available knowledge through a world wide consultation process. The challenges identified from this process were matched with solutions devised in a comprehensive manner in an executable Framework for Action developed by the Global Water Partnership (GWP). This Framework is built on the key concepts of integrated water resources management (IWRM) and water security and aims at providing safe and sufficient water for all through the extension of services to the
billions of people worldwide who have no access.Pull out quote
"IWRM is a process which promotes the co-ordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximize the resultant economic and
social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vitalecosystems."
From Global Water Partnership
"Water, so vital for life and the health of people and ecosystems, faces a crisis.
Water resources give us food, quench our thirst and provide many other benefits,
but around the globe women and men lack adequate and safe water to meet these
most basic of human needs. These resources, and the ecosystems that providethem, are under threat from pollution, overuse, land-use changes and many other
man-made forces. Access to water is widely recognised as a basic human need, but for many millions this is no more than a fine sentiment and the legions of thedeprived will grow ever greater in the future unless effective and sustained actions are taken. Carrying on as we are is not an option. The future of our planet depends upon people at all levels from the individual to the global
community working together to address these challenges."Ministerial Declaration of The Hague on Water Management in the 218t Century.
The process of defining Africa's regional contribution to the Forum began in Gaborone,
Botswana in late 1999 when an initial organizational meeting was held. Prior to this
meeting African Stakeholders had only been observers/participants in the Vision
Development Process began by the World Water Council and Global Water Partnership
with support by the Netherlands Government and other donors. The primary outcome of
the Gaborone Meeting was the decision to prepare an African Water Vision 2025 and
organize an African Caucus at the 2nd World Water Forum with the full commitment by
the African Development Bank ( AfDB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the
Organisation for African Unity (OAU).On the initiative ofthe AfDB with active support from the World Bank (WB), planning for these objectives were achieved at the Stakeholders Meeting held at the AfDB Headquarters in Abidjan in February 2000. All the major stakeholders including the OAU, member states, NGOs, RBOs and the major UN agencies working in the field of Water Resources in Africa actively participated in this meeting. It was decided that the three regional bodies OAU, ECA and AfDB would coordinate the preparations and execution of the activities
proposed for the Hague Forum.
The Africa Caucus took place on Saturday, March 18th, 2000 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
There were about 400 participants, and the Chairman for the occasion was the President of the African Development Bank (ADB), Mr. Omar Kabbaj. After an opening statement by the Chairman, Ambassador Mahamat Doutoum, Assistant Secretary General of the OAU was invited to speak on "The Shared Waters ofAfrica: Instruments for Peace, Partnership and Integration". Prof. Paulina Makinwa-Adebusoye, Director for Food Security & Sustainable Development Division at the ECA followed him. She delivered the speech of the Executive Secretary and UN Under-Secretary General, Dr. K.Y. Amoako, on "Water and Socioeconomic Development in Africa", The next speaker was the Hon. Minister of Water Resources in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed Bello Kaliel. He presented the Africa Water Vision and its elements, and invited Prof. Albert Wright of the World Bank/GWP to speak on the background to the Vision and on the Framework for Action.
After the Vision presentation, the Chairman invited Mr. Theodore Nkodo, Director of the Central Operations Department of the African Development Bank to speak on the "Investment Requirements for the Vision and Framework for Action". He was followed by Mr. David Grey, Lead Specialist on Water Resources, who spoke on the topic: "Africa's Water Vision - Some Reflections and the World Bank's response". The next speaker was Mrs. Margaret Mwangola, chairperson for an NGO known as the Kenya Water for Health Organization (KWAHO) in Nairobi. She spoke on "Grassroots Expectationsfrom the Africa Water Vision ".
The last speaker was a student, Ms. Onyema Onwuka who spoke on the topic: "Africa's Water Vision - Implicationsfor the Youth in Africa ". Some speeches are attached as Annex III.
The floor was then open to participants for a lively discussion and exchange of views. Finally, with some closing remarks, the Chairman closed the Caucus after Mr. Len Abrams a private consultant, had introduced his website, the Africa Water Website, which is open to the public.
It was then decided to hold a follow-up tripartite meeting between the OAU, the ECA, and the
ADB in Addis Ababa in April. The objectives of the meeting were:1. Formulate an OAU resolution on the Vision and Caucus outcomes for endorsement at the
OAU summit scheduled for June 20002. Prepare a plan of action for fine-tuning the FFA, the milestones and targets, re-calculate the investment needs, and formulate a strategy for paying for the implementation of the
FFA
This consultative meeting was held in Addis Ababa during May 2-3, 2000 under the co-
chairmanship of the OAU and the ECA. The meeting was convened to review a draft report on
the Africa Water Vision for 2025 by the Secretary General of the OAU, and to develop a draft
resolution on the Vision for consideration of the next summit meeting of African Heads of
State. The meeting also addressed issues on the assignment of institutional responsibilities for implementing the Vision, concerns about the Framework for Action of the Vision, and
arrangements for financing the vision. The outcome of the meeting was as presented below.1.1 Report of the OAU Secretary General and the Resolution on the Vision
After an opening statement by Dr. Edward Clinton on behalf of the OAU, the meeting proceeded to consider the report of the Secretary General of the OAU on the Vision and the Draft Resolution on the Vision. Annexes I and II, respectively, are the reports of the Secretary
General on the Vision, and the draft resolution on the Vision.1.2 Assignment of Institutional Responsibilities
The recommended assignment of institutional responsibilities between the OAU, the UNECA
and the ADB was agreed as follows:The OAU would be responsible for political awareness and support for the Vision. To this end, it planned to make budgetary provision for running public awareness seminars in five sub-regions in Africa. It agreed to also assume the responsibility for reporting progress on Vision implementation every two years at the Summits of the African Heads of State.
The UNECA would play a coordinating role and bring synergy in the activities of the three Institutions in promoting and monitoring the implementation of the Vision. This would include the provision of technical assistance, advocacy, project formulation, and support for river basin organizations. It would also assist in capacity building for Integrated Water Resources Management. It would also be responsible for coordinating the preparation of the Africa component of the biannual World Water Report. The UNECA would also serve as the link between the water cluster of UNSIA (United Nations Special Initiative on Africa) and the
three African institutions responsible for the Africa Water Vision.The ADB would be responsible for resource mobilization for implementation of the Vision.
This would include advice and assistance in mobilizing financial resources at national, regional and Africa-wide levels. This will be in addition to the operational and investment work the Bank will be undertaking in pursuit of its new water policy that addresses most ofthe
issues in the Vision.2. GOALS OF THE AFRICAN WATER VISION
At the dawn of the new millennium Africa faces a number of serious socioeconomic problems
that call for urgent remedial action if current trends.towards endemic poverty and pervasive
underdevelopment are to be turned around. The crucial role of water in accomplishing the
needed socioeconomic development goals is widely recognized. On the face of it, water
should not pose a constraint to such development. For Africa appears to have abundant water
resources. It has large rivers, big lakes, vast wetlands and limited, but widespread ground
water resources. Moreover, it has a high potential for hydroelectric power development.Unfortunately, however, the sustainability of this water endowment cannot be taken for granted. For it is threatened by certain natural phenomena and human factors. Among the natural threats are:
♦ The multiplicity of transboundary water basins
♦ Extreme spatial and temporal variability of climate and rainfall, coupled with climate change
♦ Growing water scarcity, shrinking of some water bodies, and desertification.
The human threats include:
♦ Pursuit of inappropriate governance and institutional arrangements in managing national and transnational water basins
♦ Depletion of water resources through pollution, environmental degradation, and deforestation
♦ Failure to invest adequately in resource assessment, protection and development
♦ Unsustainable financing of investments in water supply and sanitation
These threats pose challenges in managing the water resources in the continent and in meeting competing demands for basic water supply and sanitation, food security, economic development, and the environment.
It is widely recognized that the threats cannot be successfully addressed by adherence to business as usual in water resources management at national and regional levels. For such an approach would lead to disastrous consequences. Such an approach would lead to a future where the available water resources would become inadequate to support competing demands for sustaining life, economic development and the environment. Addressing these threats calls for a new vision for water together with a framework for action designed to ensure that we are
able to achieve the vision
The Africa Water Vision for 2025 is thus designed to avoid the disastrous consequences of these threats and lead to a future where the full potential in Africa's water resources can be readily unleashed to stimulate and sustain growth in the region's economic development and social well being.
The shared vision is for:
AN AFRICA WHERE THERE IS AN EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE USE AND MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION, SOCIO-
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, REGIONAL COOPERATION, AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
It is a vision for an Africa in which:
1. There is a sustainable access to safe and adequate water supply and sanitation to meet
basic needs of all.
2. There is sufficient water for food and energy security.
3. Water for sustaining ecosystems and biodiversity is adequate in quantity and quality.
4. Water resources institutions have been reformed to create an enabling environment for effective and integrated management of water in national and transboundary water basins, including management at the lowest appropriate level.
5. Water basins serve as a basis for regional cooperation and development, and are treated
as natural assets for all within such basins.
6.
7.
There is an adequate number of motivated and highly skilled water professionals.
There is an effective and financially sustainable system for data collection, assessment
and dissemination for national and transboundary water basins.8. There are effective and sustainable strategies for addressing natural and man-made
water resources problems, including climate variability and change9. Water is financed and priced to promote equity, efficiency, and sustainability.
10. There is political will, public awareness and commitment among all for sustainable
water resources management, including the mainstreaming of gender issues and youth concerns and the use of participatory approaches.In the midst of a plentiful supply of water at continental level, there are sub-regions and countries in Africa that are experiencing growing water scarcity. This situation is the result of a number of issues that face the continent in water resources. These issues fall under two broad categories, namely, resource side and demand side issues. The resource side issues are concerned with the occurrence, distribution, protection and management of the available water resources; and they relate to the sustainability of the available resource. The demand side issues are concerned with the management of competing demands for the available water resources. They are concerned with the extent to which such demands are satisfied in an equitable and a sustainable way.
There are many resource side issues facing Africa. Among these are:
1. Multiplicity of transboundary water basins 2. High spatial and temporal variability of rainfall 3. Growing water scarcity
4. Inadequate institutional and financing arrangements 5. Inadequate data and human capacity
6. Inadequate water resources development
7. Depletion of water resources through human actions
On the demand side too, Africa faces a number of issues. Among these are:
1. Access to safe water supply and sanitation services 2. Water for food and energy security
3. Too much wastage in water
4. Threats to environmental sustainability
In addition to the key issues identified above, there a number of compounding issues that also have a significant impact on water resources in Africa. The most significant ones are:
1. Political instability and conflict within and between countries
2. Weak institutional arrangements and legal frameworks for water resources ownership, allocation, and management
3. Inadequate stakeholder involvement
4. Inadequate research for water resources development 5. Weak socioeconomic development base
6. Low public capacity to finance required investments in water resources development and management, including protection and restoration
7. Inadequate private sector participation in financing
3. PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION
The framework for action defines the road map towards the Vision; and Table 3 in the Vision document shows the milestones and together with corresponding targets towards the Vision.
The framework for action consists of actions under the following broad categories:
Strengthening governance of water resources Improving water wisdom
Meeting urgent water needs
Strengthening financial base for desired water future 3.1 Strengthening Governance of Water Resources
♦ Developing and implementing institutional reform and capacity building at local, national and transboundary water basin levels
♦ Using the water basin as the unit for water resources management
♦ Strengthening river basin and aquifer management
♦ Creating an enabling environment for cooperation between countries sharing international water basins
♦ Mainstreaming management at the lowest appropriate level and creating institutional arrangements for full stakeholder participation
♦ Liberalizing water markets while meeting basic needs of the poor
'"^^
3.2 Improving Water Wisdom
♦ Establishing a sustainable system for data collection, management, and dissemination, including standardization and harmonization of data
♦ Building institutional and human capacity for effective water management
♦ Conducting research and development on water resources issues
♦ Facilitating access to Internet services at local levels
♦ Mainstreaming gender and youth concerns in all activities
3.3 Meeting Urgent Water Needs
♦ Expanding safe water supply and sanitation services to meet basic human needs
♦ Ensuring adequate water for sustainable food security
♦ Ensuring that water for environment is adequate in quantity and quality
♦ Ensuring adequate water for economic development in the areas of agricultural production, energy and hydropower production, industry, tourism and transportation
♦ Managing drought and desertification
♦ Conserving and restoring ecosystems
♦ Protecting watersheds and controlling siltation of hydraulic structures
♦ Meeting the needs of rural energy supply
♦ Developing non-conventional resources such as desalination and reuse of water
3.4 Strengthening Financial base for Desired Water Future
♦ Mainstreaming full cost recovery and service differentiation, allowing for a range of service options, each with its price tag
♦ Securing sustainable financing and initial donor assistance for tackling urgent water needs
♦ Securing sustainable financing for institutional reform
♦ Securing sustainable financing for information generation and management
♦ Shifting from government to private sector financing in the water sector
♦ Establishing mechanisms for sustainable financing of water resources management
4. ELEMENTS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
The attainment of these and other desirable outcomes from the Vision requires action at various levels, such as the grassroots level, the national level and sub-regional water basin levels. Action should also be taken at the levels of sub-regional economic commissions (such ECOWAS and SADC) and of Africa-wide organizations (such as the AfDB, ECA, and the OAU). The priority actions that need to be taken include awareness and consensus building, creation of enabling environments for international cooperation, responding to immediate water problems, creating frameworks for integrated water resources management, and capacity building.
4.1 Building awareness and consensus
There is an immediate need to create awareness and consensus about the Vision at all levels, using messages that may be revised from time to time and from place to place to reflect local and changing circumstances. An initial set of such messages is as
presented in the following box:
Africa Water Vision Messages,
1. Provide safe and adequate water and sanitation for all, urgently 2. Make Equitable and Sustainable use of Africa's Water Resources
3. Ensure sustainable development and management of water resources for all 4. Develop water resources food security and agricultural development
5. Develop water resources to stimulate socioeconomic development 6. Treat water as natural asset for all in Africa
7. Share management of international water basins to stimulate efficient mutual
regional economic development.
8. Ensure adequate water for life-supporting ecosystems,
9. Manage watersheds and flood plains to safeguard lives, land and water
resources,
10. Price water to promote equity, efficiency and sustainability 4.2 Creating enabling environment for international cooperation,
Management of international waters has been identified as a priority in Africa due to the multiplicity ofinternational waters. To respond to this, early action should be taken to develop a framework and an enabling environment for cooperation in the development and management of international water basins. Action would be required at an all-Africa level at sub-regional levels, and at national levels. Good models that have been cited above include the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) and the Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems of the Southern Africa Development Commission (SADC), the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and the Niger Basin Authority (NBA).
4.3 Responding to immediate water problems
Reference has been made to the inter-dependency between water and economic development
It has been suggested that inadequate access to water and sanitation services can be the cause
and the consequence of poverty. Similarly, on the positive side, adequate water resources can
be the cause and the consequence of sustainable economic development. The challenge is how
to prime the pump to launch the upward spiral in which water resources development and
economic development become mutually supportive. To this end, Africa would like to appeal
to its development partners for initial financial assistance to facilitate action in three priority
areas of (a) institutional reform, (b) information generation and management, and (c) meeting
urgent water needs. Addressing these three fundamental needs would contribute to improved
vitality, longevity, and human productivity that can serve as the springboard for socioeconomic development.
4.4 Creating framework for integrated water resources management
A prerequisite for successfully addressing the pressing water problems is to change from the fragmented approach to an integrated approach for water resources management (IWRM). A first step in this regard is the establishment of an enabling environment at national level that will include policies and institutional arrangements for water resources management and allocation between competing demands. This calls for an understanding of the Dublin-Rio principles. It also calls for a program of gap analysis to determine the types of strategic assistance needed at country level for implementing IWRM.
Moreover, it will call for interpretation of the concept of water as an economic and social good. In this regard, it has been stressed that it might be helpful to separate the competing demands for water for economic development from the competing demands for water for supporting life and the environment. This would make it easier to treat water strictly as an economic good for competing demands for economic development. However, for its use to support life, such as water supply and sanitation for the poor or for food security, a case may be made for treating water both as an economic and as a social good. The aim here being to so price water for these services that it can promote equity, efficiency, and sustainability. A lot of debate and public education may be necessary to arrive at a consensus on these issues.
4.5 Building capacity
One of the major constraints in the development of water resources in Africa has been identified as inadequate human and institutional capacity for IWRM. Unfortunately, Africa does not have an adequate number of highly motivated and highly skilled cadres of water professional who can effectively deal with the complex issues of water scarcity, climate variability and joint management of international waters. It is fortunate that, under the Global Water Partnership, a program of capacity building has been launched, starting in Southern Africa. Other regions in Africa need to take the initiative to call for the use the services of this new program for capacity building at national and international levels. The UNDP and UNESCO-led World Water Assessment Programme could help implement such programs.
4.6 Identifying vision drivers
Vision drivers (or vision driving forces) are long-term factors that influence the course of future water developments. They represent the conditions of the social and ecological system and the engines that move forward the development of water resources towards the desired vision. By knowing the most important drivers, it is possible to gain an insight of the direction and speed of water resources development in the future. In view of their importance, a number of driving forces that might be relevant for the water vision for Africa have been identified. In order of priority, they are socioeconomic, demographic, environmental, governance, and technological factors. There needs to be early consensus on how these drivers are to be defined.
4.7 Socioeconomic factors
The main socioeconomic factor likely to constrain attainment of the Vision is the widespread poverty resulting mainly from slow economic growth and high levels of indebtedness in the continent. It is feared that this would inhibit investments in water resources development.
There is a need to address this as a matter of urgency, especially through the expansion of
access to safe and adequate water supply and sanitation services.
4.8 Demographic factors
A key demographic constraint is the rapid population growth and urbanization resulting in increasing demand on scarce resources under conditions of limited managerial capacity. A related factor is the high prevalence of communicable diseases and premature death due to inadequate, unsafe and inequitable access to water supply and sanitation. Countries need to review the trade-offs between different population policies in order to ensure that demographic factors do not become the limiting factor in socioeconomic development or the engines of
increased water scarcity.
4.9 Environmental factor?
The major environmental factor is climate variability (seasonal and inter-temporal) leading to desertification, floods and other natural disasters. A second factor is environmental degradation from wastes from domestic, industrial and agricultural sources. A third factor is failure to allocate adequate water resources to sustain life-supporting ecosystems, terrestrial and aquatic. There is need for appropriate policies to address this factor.
4.10 Governance
There are numerous governance factors in Africa. They include: lack of accountability, transparency and good governance, resulting in ineffective management of water resources-
inadequate cooperation and coordination in the management of national and international water basins; and inappropriate institutional arrangements resulting in poor management and low capacity in human resources. The governance factors also include inadequate regulatory and legal frameworks at local, national, and regional levels; inadequate stakeholder involvement in water resources management, particularly women and the youth; and civil strife and inter-country wars. A lot of work remains to be done on this constraint.
4.11 Technology
The key technological factor is the existence of critical gaps in data (ground and surface water information and knowledge in the water sector). Inadequate technological know-how is another factor. The Internet is a major instrument for overcoming some of the technological constraints; yet in many parts of Africa, high telephone charges constitute a major constraint to access to the Internet. There is an urgent need for appropriate policies on Internet access in
African countries.10
5. PROGRAMMES AND PROJECT PROPOSALS
Programme and project proposals for implementing the Vision activities in accordance with the proposed target should be prepared on the basis of detailed analysis of the tasks, inputs, country perspectives and capacities. The Vision targets and milestones should be accepted at national levels and integrated into the water resources policy and strategy initiatives. This would allow the inclusion of the vision targets in CSPs, PRSPs and other country specific planning tools.
Nevertheless generalised project and programme proposals for implementing the vision actions are proposed in Table 1 with partnership responsibilities for each element. These are summarised below for the main Vision action elements so that the magnitude of the tasks involved at the national and regional level could be appreciated.
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TABLE I
Policy Development and Institutional
a. Regional policy inventory projects b. National Policy development and
institutional reform programmes Regional Co-operation on Shared Water a. Principles and institutional frameworks
development programmes
b. Programmes for strengthening existing initiatives
c. Programmes for promoting new initiatives
d Inter-Basin Water Transfer,
e. Water Sharing as an Instrument of Regional Cooperation
Information System Development a. National information system projects b. Sub-regional and regional information
system project c. African Water Portal
Information Management Institutions a. National information institutions Establishment
projects
b. Sub-regional and regional information institutions Establishment projects
IWRM Capacity Building
a. National IWRM awareness creation and education programmes
b. National research capacity building
programmes
c. Regional research institution establishment programme
Water Supply and Sanitation
a. National strategy and action plan preparation projects
b. National water resources management
programmes
Food Security Achievement
a. National agricultural production
management programmes,
b. Irrigation development Projects
Multipurpose Water
a. Integrated river basin development planning projects
b. Multipurpose water resources development projects
Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration
a. National Environmental Action Plan preparation projects
b. Water ecosystem management
programmes
Drought, floods and desertification Mitisation a. National strategy and action plan
development projects
b. Drought, floods and desertification
management programmes.
Water Resources management Investment
a. National water resources management financial needs assessment projects b. Donor co-ordination programmes
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6. MOBILIZING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RESOURCES
The Vision addresses some key challenges in which success must be achieved by African countries between now and 2025 - in the areas of water supply and sanitation, food security, economic applications of water, the environment and ecosystems, management of drought,' floods and desertification, regional co-operation on shared waters, policies and institutional framework, skilled human resources and capacity building, knowledge and databases, science and technology. In each of these areas, the Vision sets targets to be achieved by 2005 2015
and 2025.
In the light of these multiple targets, some of the most critical questions that must be addressed are the magnitude of the resource commitments, especially capital resources and the sources for it. Regarding investment, preliminary estimates indicated that US$ 20 billion per year would be required to achieve the targets of the Vision. Investments in water supply and sanitation infrastructures to provide secure access to at least 95% of the African population in 2025 will account for 54-62% of total capital commitments for sustainable integrated water resource development and management. This is predicated on rising water consumption rates in rural and urban areas, respectively, to 60 litres/person/day and 100 litres/person/dav bv
2025. r 3 3
The rest of the resource commitments will go towards the development of irrigation systems, industrial water supplies, hydropower, strengthening institutional and policy frameworks at national and trans-boundary levels, supporting the development of knowledge networks and data-gathering infrastructure, sustaining awareness-raising activities, and investing in R&D towards more efficient water technologies and impact mitigation. The large share of capital commitments allocated to the development of water and sanitation infrastructures simply reflects their present rudimentary state in Africa relative to the rest of the world and the large
segments of population currently not covered.
Concerning a possible financing plan: this will involve public spending by central governments, municipal and local councils sustained at adequate levels to steadily increase access to basic services for segments of the rural population and peri-urban areas. Investments will also be required from domestic private sector sources - private service provider enterprises, bond and equity markets. Significant flows of international capital and entrepreneurial expertise must be attracted to the continent as well. Considerable innovative thinking also will need to be given to more effectively harnessing community initiatives - modernising and building upon diverse rich African traditions of self-help, equitable sharing
and protecting water resources.
Official development assistance will also need to be increased particularly over the first 10 years, to play a priming role. This is in view of the high level of poverty in a majority of African countries, low domestic saving rates and weak fiscal base, low per-capita incomes low capacity to pay for social services, and currently very low capacity to attract international capital. The likely levels of investment allocation from the identified sources to meet annual requirement were proposed as follows.(Table 2).
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TABLE 2 Investment Sources
Public sector
Domestic private sector Local communities NGOs
Multilateral Financing Bilateral Financing
International private Sector Total
Percent of total
20 5 5 5 30 20 15 100
Amount - million USD per year
4000 1000 1000 1000 6000 4000 3000 20,000
Year 2000 per capita investment level for population of 799 million in Africa
5.00 1.25 1.25 1.25 7.50 5.00 3.75 25.00
The above proposal indicates that for the year 2000 population level, about USD 7.5 per person per year will have to be raised from internal sources, while the balance of about USD 17.5 per person per year may have to come from international sources. It should be emphasised that these are only rough indicative general figures intended to stimulate some thinking on the issue, and that different countries will need to determine the applicable
percentages based on their specific circumstances.
7. PARTNERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
There will be a need for strong partnerships to be established, strengthened and sustained, bringing together governments, consumer groups and associations, local cultural institutions,' domestic and international private sector operators, national and global capital markets' multilateral development finance institutions, bilateral development agencies, civil society organisations, research institutions, think-tanks and academia.
It is proposed that one of the major areas for partnership collaboration would be to organise a major donors and financiers conference to focus attention on mobilising resources for the fulfilment of the African Water Vision. The African Development Bank and the World Bank should lead the effort to convene this conference, in close collaboration with the ECA and other UN agencies. In preparation for the conference, institutions and agencies such as the UNDP, UNICEF, WHO and FAO should work with countries in the Region to develop specific programmes and projects for financial assistance, including regional programs on shared waters. These should be presented for consideration during the Conference. The purpose and objectives of the conference can begin to be flagged during the regional consultation seminars on policy, which have been proposed below.
Other areas of partnership responsibilities particularly in terms of programme and project initiation and implementation are outlined in Table 3. below. This would serve as basis for discussion and rationalising the various responsibilities for co-ordination and monitoring activities among the large number of institutions involved in the implementation process.
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TABLE3:VisionTargetsandImplementationProposals Action LImprovingGovernanceofWaterResources LLDevelopmentofnationalIWRMpoliciesandcomprehensive institutionalreform. ♦injirocts-silldevelopment ♦I-'ulIimplementation L2-EnablingenvironmentforRegionalco-operationonshared water. •Initiatedinexistingriverbasinorganisations *ImplementedinexistRiverbasinorganisations *Initiatedinnewriverbasinorganisations *Implementedinnewriverbasinorganisations 2.ImprovingWaterWisdom 2.LSystemsforinformationgeneration,assessmentand dissemination ♦Establishedalnationallevel •Establishedforinternationalriverbisins •EstablishedatAfrica-widelevel 2J.Sustainablefinancingforinformationgenerationand management •Reviewofglobalexperience ♦Implementationatnationallevd *Implementationatriverbasinlevel ♦ImplementationatAfrica-widelevel 1.5.1WHMCapacityBuilding ♦Createpublicawarenessandconsensus ♦Knowledgegapsidentified *Partnershipsforstrategicassistance ♦Nationalresearchinstitutesestablished *Regionalresearchinstitutionestablished •Gender/youthconcernsmainstreamed 3.MeetingUrgentWaterNeeds 3.1.Proportionofpeoplewithoutaccess: +tosafeandadequatewatersupply *tosafeandadequatesanitation 3^.Waterforfoodsecurityachievement ♦Waterproductivityofrainfedandirrigation ♦Sizeofirrigatedarea 33.Developmentofwaterforagriculture,hydropower,industry, tourism&transportationuseatnationallevel. 3.4.Conservationandrestorationofenvironment,biodiversity, andlife-supportingecosystems *Allocationofsufficientwaterfotenvironment*!sustainabistv-
2025target •100%ofcountries ♦100%ofcountries •100%ofcounmes ♦100%ofcountries ♦100%ofcountries ♦100%oforganisations ♦100%ofcountries ♦100%ofcountries ♦100%complete ♦100%ofcountries ♦100%ofcountries ♦tOG%ofcountries ♦100%complete ♦100%ofcountries ♦100%ofcountries ♦100%ofcountries *90%ofcountries ♦Threeestablished ♦100%ofcountries ♦Reducedby95% ♦Reducedby95% *Increaseby60% •Increaseby100% •25%ofpotential ♦I00%ofriverbasms
Project/programmeideas c.Regions]policyinventoryprojects dNationalPolicydevelopmentandinstttuticinal reformprogrammes f.Principlesandinstitutionalframeworksdevelopment programmes g.Programmesforstrengtheningexistinginitiatives h.Programmestorpromotingnewinitiatives d.Nationalinformationsystemprojects e.Sub-regKnulandregionalinformationsystemproject cNationalinformationinstitutionsEstablishment projects d.Sub-regkiiiaiandregionalinformationinstitutions Establishmentprojects dNationalIWRMawarenesscreationandeducation programmes e.Nationalresearchcapacitybuildingprogrammes f.Regionalresearchinstitutionestablishment programme c.Nationalstrategyandactionplaitpreparation projects d.Nationalwaterresourcesmanagementprogrammes c.Nationalagriculturalproductionmanagement programmes, dIrrigationDevelopmentProjects cIntegratedriverbasindevelopmentplanningprojects d.Multipurposewaterresourcesdevelopmentprojects cNationalEnvironmentalActionPlanpreparation projects
PartnershipResponsibility a.ADBtoCakeleadrotefororganisingsub-regionalpolicydisseminationandstatus inventoryseminarswith,dieWB,GWP,ECA,UNDP,NGOsaspartners, b.CountryresponsibilitywithsupportfromWB,ADB,UNDP,FAO,ECA, bilateralsourcesandNGOs.NationalinitiativereflectedinCSPs,CAS.PKSPs etc a.ProvidesupporttoNGOslikeGreencross,internationalandr^ionalresearch institutions, b.ADB/WB/ECA/OAUtoassessstatusofexisongarrangementsandidentify areasofstrengthemng.ADB/WB/UNDPtotakeleadrolemstrengthening, cOAUtot^ItpleadroleonthepoliticalframeworkandECAonthepolicyand institutionalframewotk.ADB/Wil/UNDPtoprovidesupportfor implementation. a.UNESCO,WMO,UNEPandNGOslodevelopnationalinformation framework-UNDP.FAO,WE,ADBtofinanceimplementation, b.ECA/OAUtoidentifysubregionalandregionalgroupingforactionby UNESCO,WMO,UNEP,BibteolsandNGOs. a.AUB/WB/UNDP/FAO/EVtogivefinancialsupporttoaugmentnational effort b.ADB/WB/UNDP/FAO.EUtogivefinancialsupportwithindieframeworkof subregionalandr^ionalto-operation. a.GWP,AWRMFandUNESCOtotakeleadrolesupportingnationalinitiatives. FinancialsupportformADB,WB,UNDP,EU,bilateraletc b.UNESCO/FAO/WMO/UNEPlotakeleadinginitiativewithsupportsfrom WB/ADBandotherfinancialsources, c.ECAtotakeleadinginitiativeswithsupportfromWB/ADB a.NationalinitiativesupportedbyWHO/UNICEF/UNDPasleadinstitutions. Bilateral,multilateralandNGOscouldalsoplaythisrole.ADB/WBtoprovide financialsupport b.Supportbyalltonationalprogrammeandprojectsrotinfrastructure developmentandmanagement a.FAOtotikeale»droleinstrategyandactionpbnpreparation.Implementation bymultilateral!,biitcrals,NGOsetc b.ADB/WB/EUandbiateralstotakeleadingroleinfinancingnationalprojects a.UNDP/UNEPwithWBandADBlotakeleadinginitiatives. b.ADB/WB/EUintakeleadingtoteinfinancingnationalprojects a.UNEPandIUCNtotakeleadingroleinsupportingnationalinitiatives, b.GEF/ADB/WB/EUrolakeleadingroleinfinancingnationalprojects 15
3.5.Effectivemanagementofdrought,floodsanddesertification 4.StrengtheningFinancialbasefordesiredwaterfuture 4.1SustainablefinancingforPolicyandinstitutions!reformand capacitybuilding 4.2.Financingurgentwaterneeds *Implementationofpricingandfullcostrecovery *Increasingprivatesectorparticipation ♦Mobilisingfinancefromnationalandinternationalsource.
♦100%ofoverbasins ♦100%ofcountries ♦100%ofcountries »100%ofcountries ♦100%ofcountries •100%ofcountries AWaterecosystemmanagementprogrammes c.Nationalstrategyandactionplandevelopment projects d.Droughtfloodsanddesertificationmanagement programmes. cNationalwaterresourcesmanagementfitianrial needsassessmentprojects d.Donorco-ordinationpro&amraes
a.UNEP/FAO/andIUCNtotakeleadingroleinsupportingnationalandregional initiatives, b.GEF/ADB/WB/EUtolakeleadingroleinfinancingnationalprojects a.ECA/UNDP/WB/ADBtotakeleadingroleinassessingfinancialneeds. b.ECA/UNDP/WB/ADBtoorganisedonorsconference,establishpermanent donorco-ordinationset-upandensurecontinuousandsustainablesupport 16
ANNEX I Draft
Report of the Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity
on
The Africa Water Vision 2025
The Africa Water Vision is a document that defines a widely shared view of how water resources should be managed in Africa to ensure that all people and all countries have an equitable access to water to meet basic needs and to serve as an instrument for socioeconomic development. The full Africa Water Vision document is attached to this report. It was prepared to serve as an instrument for socioeconomic development in Africa and also to serve as part of a worldwide effort to develop a World Water Vision for the year 2025. The preparation of the World Water Vision has been part of a global response to a call that was made in 1997 at the First World Water Forum held at Marrakech. Morocco. The call was for a new approach to water resources development and management for the twenty-first century - - an approach that should help to avert the almost certain disastrous consequences of the current approaches.
In particular, the decision to prepare the Africa Water Vision was based on the recognition mat, at the dawn of the new millennium, Africa faces a number of socioeconomic problems.
These problems called for urgent remedial action aimed at turning around the current trends in endemic poverty and pervasive underdevelopment in the continent.
The crucial role of water in accomplishing the needed socioeconomic development goals is widely recognized. Africa appears to have abundant water resources. It has large rivers, big lakes, vast wetlands and limited, but widespread ground water resources. Moreover, it has a high potential for hydroelectric power development. Thus, on the face of it, water should not pose a constraint to such development. However, in spite of this apparent rich water endowment., Africa still faces serious water problems. For even basic water and sanitation needs are not yet adequately met.
In rural areas. 65% of the population has no access to adequate water supply and 73% does not have safe sanitation facilities. In urban areas the situation is better. Even so. 25% of the population is without adequate water supply and 43% has no access to safe sanitation systems.
Inadequacy of water is one of the constraints to food and energy insecurity in Africa. In Eastern and Southern Africa, fir example, the number of food insecure people has almost doubled from 22million in early 1980s to 39 million in early 1990s. In some parts of Africa we have excessive flooding, as exemplified by the recent experience in Mozambique, leading to loss of Jife and loss of gains in economic development. At the same time there are other parts like Ethiopia, Morocco and countries in the Sahelian and some Southern African countries where we have endemic drought to famine and, again, to loss of life and loss of economic gains. The disappearance of Lake Chad is a cause for concern. Today, the area occupied by the lake is only a tenth of what it was less than forty years ago.
These water problems are the result of threats and constraints posed by natural phenomena and human factors; and as a result of these threats and constraints, the sustainability of Africa's
water endowment cannot be taken for granted.
KEY THREATS AND CONSTRAINTS TO AFRICA'S WATER ENDOWMENT
Some of the key threats and constraints are posed, in part by Africa's colonial past and, in part by natural phenomena. They include:
1. The multiplicity of transboundary river basins in Africa, Out of 260 international, water basins in the world, Africa alone has 50
2. The high variability in time and space in the occurrence and amount of rainfall, coupled with difficulty in predicting when and where the rainfall will occur
3. Growing water scarcity, due in part to rapid population growth and declining rainfall resulting in extensive drylands that occupy about 60 percent of the total land area of Africa where about one-third of the population lives.
Other problems are due to current human factors, and they include the following:
1. Pursuit of inappropriate governance and institutional arrangements in managing national and transnational water basins
2. Depletion of water resources through pollution, environmental degradation, and deforestation
3. Failure to invest adequately in resource assessment, protection and development 4. Unsustainable financing of investments in water supply and sanitation
PRIORITY ISSUES FACING AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS
These threats and constraints pose a number of challenges to African governments. The
priority issues linked to these challenges are:
■ How best to meet the water supply and sanitation needs of their people, especially the
poor
■ How to ensure a sustainable supply of water for food security
■ How to arrest the increasing water scarcity and prolonged droughts in parts of the continent while averting disastrous flooding in others
• How to ensure a secure supply of water to sustain life, socioeconomic development and the environment
INSTRUMENTS FOR ADDRESSING PRIORITY ISSUES
Key instruments for addressing the priority issues are:
Adoption of the river basin as the basic unit for water resources management, and following the approach of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in order to ensure sustainability of available water resources
Establishing and implementing appropriate policies to underpin IWRM
Ensuring sustainable financing of water resources development, management and use to meet pressing needs such as water supply and sanitation as well as food and energy security
Pursuing regional cooperation and economic integration in Africa as instruments for sustainable water resources management and assuring equitable access and use of the continent's water resources
THE AFRICA WATER VISION
It was with these constraints, challenges and notions of appropriate response in mind that the Africa Water Vision has been formulated. It is a Vision for:
An Africa where there is an equitable and sustainable use and management ofwater resources for poverty alleviation, socioeconomic development, regional cooperation, and the environment
Thus the Africa Vision for 2025 is a vision for an Africa where there will be:
11. Sustainable access to safe and adequate water supply and sanitation to meet the basic needs of all
12. Sufficient water for food and energy security
13. Water to sustain, ecosystems and biodiversity in adequate quantity and quality
14. Water resources institutions that have been reformed to create an enabling environment for effective and integrated management of water in national and transboundary water basins, including management at the lowest appropriate level
15. Water basins that serve as a basis for regional cooperation and development, and are treated as natural assets for all within such basins
16. An adequate number of motivated and highly skilled water professionals
17. An effective and financially sustainable system for data collection, assessment and dissemination for national and transboundary water basins
18. Effective and sustainable strategies for addressing natural and man-made water resources problems, including climate variability and change
19. Water is financed and priced to promote equity, efficiency, and sustainability
20. There is political will, public awareness and commitment among all for sustainable water resources management, including the mainstreaming of gender issues and youth concerns and the use of participatory approaches
PARTICIPATORY APPROACH FOLLOWED IN VISION DEVELOPMENT
The Africa Water Vision was presented and discussed by about 400 participants of a special Africa Caucus held during the Second World Water Forum that was held at The Hague during March 17-22, 2000. Over 20 African ministerial delegations were present at the ministerial conference that formed a part of this Forum.
Developed under the joint leadership of the Organisation of Africa Unity, the African Development Bank, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the Vision is intended to become a widely shared view of the type of water resources management Africa would like to have in the future. The Vision should help to move us from where we are today to where we need to be in the future in order to ensure that water available in the future is sustainable and adequate in quantity and quality to meet competing demands in Africa in the long term.
In preparing the Vision, a bottom-up and a broad-based participatory approach were followed.
This included consultations held in Gaborone (Botswana) in November 1999 and in Abidjan in February 2000. The Africa Water Vision draws similar visions prepared in a participatory way at sub-regional levels in Southern Africa and in West Africa under the leaderships of the Southern Africa Technical Advisory Committee (SATAC) and the West African Technical Advisory Committee (WATAC), respectively, both of the Global Water Partnership. The preparation of these sub-regional visions entailed extensive focus group consultations. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was closely involved in the SATAC Vision, as was the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) in the development of the WATAC Vision.
In addition there were inputs from visions developed by African river basin organizations, such as the Nile Basin Initiative, the Niger Basin Authority, and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
The Vision reflects the results of Africa-level sectoral visions developed for water supply and environmental sanitation, water for food, and water for nature and conservation. It draws on the outcome from the Africa Water Resources Policy Conference held in Nairobi in May 1999. and it reflects findings from water resources initiatives and documents of regional and international organizations that are based in Africa. These include the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the Food and Agricultural Programme of the United Nations (FAO).
FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION
In addition to the Vision, a Framework for action has been prepared to serve as a road map that defines how to achieve Vision. It calls for:
■ Strengthening governance of water resources through appropriate policy reforms
■ Improving water wisdom to enhance the database for planning, development and
management
■ Meeting urgent water needs in water supply, food and energy security and others
■ Strengthening financial base for desired water future to ensure sustainable supply of services
Milestones and targets for each of these four types of action are defined in the attached table.
They define performance indices that can be used to evaluate progress in moving towards the desired Vision. Notable examples of the milestones and targets require that:
■ The proportion of people without access to safe water supply and sanitation should be reduced by 25% by the year 2005, and that 2025 the fraction of people that are now without access to these services should be reduced by at least 70%
■ By the year 2025, comprehensive policies for institutional reform should be under implementation at national level in ail African countries
■ By the year 2005, there should be adequate public awareness of the meaning and importance of the Integrated Water Resources Management
■ Effective management of drought, floods and desertification should be under development by 2005
■ Full cost recovery (with safety nets), service differentiation and the availability of a range of service options for water supply and sanitation should be operational in 60% of countries in Africa
Together with the framework for Action, the Vision calls for a new way of thinking about water and a new form of regional co-operation. At regional level, it calls for partnership and solidarity between countries that share common water basins. At national levels, it calls for fundamental changes in policies, strategies and legal frameworks, as well as changes in institutional arrangements and management practices. It calls for the use of participatory approaches, management at the lowest appropriate level, and the mainstreaming of gender issues and the concerns of the youth. At global level, it calls for support from Africa's development partners in mobilising seed funding for priming the urgent developments needed to underpin sustainable water resources management in the region. Above all, it calls for adherence to the following critical success factors:
■ Political commitment at the highest level as well as grassroots support
■ Proper appreciation of "where we are", "where we want to be", and "how to get there"
• Readiness to take tough decisions on the future direction and course of action consistent with the aspirations in the shared Water Vision
• Openness, transparency and accountability in decision-making processes
■ Ability to generate and receive knowledge and information
• The adoption of sustainable financing and cost recovery methods that are equitable and sustainable, while reflecting the concerns of the poor
