What role does water play in the construction of an African governance?

 

For the conclusion of this blog, I found it interesting to address the links between water, development and politics in Africa and to question what has been the guiding matter of this blog. 

Indeed, throughout this blog, I wanted to analyze the role that water plays in African politics at all scales and levels. 

As I said, politics in Africa is a delicate subject because this continent has a very special colonial history. The present boundaries were drawn centuries ago, by Europeans and without concern for local histories and populations. Therefore, water is a major issue of African policy because, as a reminder, the majority of surface and ground water in Africa is shared by several countries, which forces a certain relationship. 

In addition to the historical difficulty of water management in Africa with a difficult common policy, we can add its essential role for the population in terms of agriculture and health : Africa is one of the countries where the population is experiencing a great lack of water and sanitation. This political issue of water in Africa is then quite relevant because it is central to relations between African countries. 

 

Map of national-scale water scarcity as defined by the water stress index (FAO AQUASTAT)

The example of the Nile Basin made it possible to address the ‘typical’ issues of a conflict between different riparians for water around a major basin. It also permits to question several interesting concepts such as the ‘hydropolitical security complex’ or ‘proxy politics’. Indeed, the Nile illustrates the problem of sharing water between upstream and downstream countries, but also the question of the legitimacy and profit created by water in these countries.

From there, I wanted to show the potential ‘water wars’ in Africa and what their main source was,  like pollution or over-pumping. This creates conflicts at national, international and societal levels. The degree of cooperation has therefore been major in resolving conflicts around water.

We can see that this blog is centered around a constant change of scale from local to international. If the conflicts and issues considered are at the African level, the forms of cooperation are not always so. 

Indeed, Cop 26 and UNWC illustrate some form of international cooperation. But other forms of local cooperation have emerged such as the Lake Chad Basin Commission among others. But Africa is tending to more and more cooperation at the scale of the continent, especially with the IWRM which is a form of management which highlights all the actors. 

Picture: Marisol Grandon/Department for International Development

But even if this effort is honorable, I wanted to show in this blog that behind cooperation can also be found strategies for economic both nationally and internationally. International institutions and governments are increasingly getting their hands on water management in Africa to prepare their interests such as land grabbing or waste management. 

After having apprehended the stakes of water policy in Africa, on a very broad scale (international, contiental and regional) I also wanted to question the role of water in a smaller scale, that of the  domestic policy of a country.

 

By Africanews

The case of meters of prepaid water in South Africa showed that water was an element that greatly influenced the politics of a country with many demonstrations and an accentuated relationship between water, morality and democracy.

To further reduce the scale, water has a major role at the scale in the politics of a regional community as is the case in the region of Fouta-Tooro in Senegal where water influences the political relations between two populations and influences the political way of life. 

The purpose of this blog was therefore to show the various forms of water importance in African politics. Indeed, it is a central element at all levels and its management and sharing have been the source of great debates for decades that should continue for a while. Above all, I also wanted to highlight the colonial history of Africa which still today influences water management and cooperation through disguised aid to protect private investors. Water has its place in every community and form of governance and I therefore found it interesting to question its impact in creating a democratic government and a political relationship in a continent and countries.