News in Brief:
– African nations discuss strategies for achieving the SDGs by addressing challenges in water resource management, irrigation, and climate resilience.
– The discussions highlighted the importance of aligning efforts with key goals to build food-secure and climate-resilient futures across the continent.
African nations have been called to collaborate to tackle water scarcity and vulnerability to climate change threatening food security and stability of the region.
The call was made Tuesday at the high-level policy dialogue chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, as part of the 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage in Abuja. The dialogue addressed the theme of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa, focusing on challenges in transboundary water resource governance, irrigation funding, and the scale and spread of irrigation practices.
During the session, Senator Kyari stressed the critical need for enhanced collaboration among African nations. This, he said, will help to tackle issues such as water scarcity, and vulnerability to climate change, as they pose significant threats to food security and regional stability.
The challenge of water scarcity and climate change in Africa
Africa still struggles with rising water demand due to population growth and urbanisation, increasing households, farming and industrial needs. This problem is compounded by poor water management systems and infrastructure, governance issues, and pollution.
Recent data indicates that globally, 5.52 billion people across 186 nations experience water insecurity out of a total population of 7.78 billion. Notably, 1.34 billion of those affected reside in Africa, representing over 90% of the continent’s population.
The agriculture sector may face even more threats from the water insecurity crisis as global water requirements for agriculture are expected to surge by 50% by 2050 to meet the demands of an ever-growing population.
Additionally, climate change intensifies these challenges through erratic rainfall, increased evaporation, and extreme weather. These all threaten water availability and food security.
Empowering farmers and inclusive governance
Discussion at the session underscored the importance of investing in modern irrigation, drainage systems and promoting agricultural practices resilient to climate change.
Senator Kyari also acknowledged the urgent need to solve the water issue.
“Our ability to feed our people, mitigate poverty and ensure clean water access depends on how effectively we manage shared water resources,” he said.
The Minister commended the timeliness of the dialogue as it reinforces the urgency of meeting SDGs 1, 2, 6,and 13 through sustainable and inclusive irrigation solutions. Other themes explored during the event were the empowerment of small-scale farmers and ensuring inclusive water management involving local communities.
Commitment to leading a food-secure and climate-resilient Africa
Reinforcing the public action statement of the President Tinubu administration, the minister affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to taking a leading role in fostering a more food-secure and climate-resilient Africa.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier, at the opening of the conference on Monday, declared a national emergency on food security, urging expanded irrigation infrastructure and participatory water resource management nationwide.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, he urged African nations to adopt innovative strategies in addressing the continent’s irrigation and water management challenges.
