9th Africa Water Week (9AWW), 2024

By Rose Njage – Nairobi Nov 4, 2024

The Africa Water Week, hosted by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) in Cairo, Egypt, from October 13 to 17, 2024, brought together WASH stakeholders from across the African continent. The Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), through the Accountability for Water (AfW) Programme, participated and presented the findings of research on accountability for water that was conducted in six African countries, namely, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Liberia. Led by PASGR, the AfW consortium comprises Water Witness International (UK), Kenya Water and Sanitation Civil Society Network (KEWASNET), Shahidi wa Maji in Tanzania, and Water Witness in Ethiopia. The event sought to address one of Africa’s most pressing issues in the WASH sector under the theme “Placing Water and Sanitation at the Heart of Achieving Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.”

As climate change intensifies and populations grow, the need for comprehensive, sustainable, and resilient WASH governance frameworks has become increasingly urgent. This convening served as a key platform for government leaders (sector ministers), researchers, civil society organisations, NGOs, private-sector representatives, and youth advocates to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and develop strategies for tackling water insecurity in Africa. Through the presentation of AfW research findings, PASGR contributed to the achievement of Agenda 2063 by highlighting the recommendations for ensuring water accountability on the continent. Some of the recommendations include:

• Equal participation by all members of the society in policy and decision-making processes, anchored by inclusive legislative frameworks.
• Continuous capacity enhancement and peer learning, especially on human rights on water.
• Participatory monitoring of action plans on WASH with an adequate feedback mechanism.
• Participatory financial budgeting process and budget tracking mechanisms.
• Incentivised multi-sectoral collaborations, and
• Conducive and supportive political environment.

Facts about WASH sector in Africa

According to a study by AfDB (2009), Africa faces a distinct and multifaceted water crisis, unparalleled in its scope and complexity. Despite being home to vast water resources, over 411 million people lack access to clean and safe water, 779 million are without basic sanitation services, and 839 million need access to basic hygiene. These stark figures underscore a crisis that goes beyond mere infrastructure deficit. The AfW project, through a study conducted in six African countries, established that, besides infrastructural challenges, key hindrance to addressing the water crisis in Africa is poor governance, manifested by a lack of transparency and mismanagement of water resources.

Accountability in Water Governance

The theme of accountability featured in many sessions, highlighting measures for the realization of Agenda 2063. The sessions emphasized the importance of transparent governance structures and community involvement in water resource management. Significance was placed on institutional frameworks to foster accountability across sectors, including the sanitation sector. This ascertains one of the AfW project recommendations that there should be equal participation by all members of the society in policy and decision-making processes, anchored by inclusive legislative frameworks.

Water Security and Climate Resilience

Strategies to build resilience against climate change effects on water resources, focusing on sustainable and collaborative water resource management practices and infrastructure adaptation, were central during the week. For transboundary water resources, there is a need to develop policies that accommodate each country’s needs for sustainability of transboundary waters in Africa. The proposed actions contribute immensely to ensuring accountability in water governance, as well as Agenda 2063, specifically aspirations 1 and 4, respectively.

Youth Engagement in WASH Sector

In many sessions, participants discussed the involvement of the youth, women, people with disabilities (PWDs), and the marginalised communities in WASH sector governance and accountability. Education, capacity building, eliminating prohibitive procedures to youth participation in accountability processes, and integrating their voice into policy-making were discussed. Further, the youth inclusion in the WASH sector through the recently launched AMCOW Youth and Gender Inclusion (YoGI) strategy was articulated. This aligns with one of the findings of AfW research that there is minimal involvement of women, youth, and persons living with disabilities (PWDs) in key decision-making processes in the WASH sector, yet they are the most affected by the crisis in the sector.

The Call to Action

In the conclusion of Africa Water Week, it is evident that while Africa’s WASH challenges are many, there is equally strong commitment to finding solutions. For instance, PASGR, through WASH partners, has engaged with the government, especially the water ministry and policy, to discuss how Kenya can objectively define its performance in the water sector since devolution in 2010. To realize SDG 6 and Agenda 2063, inclusion of youth voice and agency in the WASH sector, cross-sectoral collaboration, strengthening accountability frameworks, innovating financial models in the WASH sector, and full implementation of existing policies in the sector must be at the forefront.

At the end of the event, there was a conclusion by WASH stakeholders that water is not just a RESOURCE but a RIGHT. Therefore, we need to forge forward with determination and shared responsibility, knowing that the work we do today on water security is sustainable for the well-being of millions of people across Africa for generations to come.

Statement of acknowledgement

This blog is a product of the Accountability for Water (AfW) Project, as part of action research, a vital initiative funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The project was implemented by the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) and supported by the trusted expertise of the Water Witness International (UK), Water Witness Ethiopia, KEWASNET, and Shahidi wa Maji. We thank and acknowledge all the authors, reviewers, and contributors.