“Can all of us get enough water to keep the plants growing, maintain proper sanitation and health?”
“We have no clean available water for daily needs, none for animals or the enviroment. We also don’t have any water infrastructures.”
Picture Credit: Inhabitat.com
Water for Thought? I am aware of the year on the inforgraphic but like most tales of African Affairs, this will be a good beginning to understand Water Politics in Africa.
Water makes up 70% of the planet but the stuff we drink, well there is just 3% available.
“With the existing climate change scenario, by 2030, water scarcity in some arid and semi-arid places will displace between 24 million and 700 million people”
I remember days carrying water on my head with other children and women in the community. We would trek and get water from streams, ponds that were often infected with water-borne diseases. Water borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhea make up close to 50% of the health issues faced by Africans. My primary school years were nothing short from a horror movie written by Stephen King. I lost classmates, neighbors and friends from water borne diseases and at least 80% of my childhood was filled with those listed illnesses.
What role does Water play in African International Relations?
Do you know, there are engineers that believe the hydro power capability of the Victoria Falls can offer power to Zambia and her neighbors? Some claim the entire continent!! What about nuclear power?
The lack of clean water contributes to more than just the poverty of African States. It is more than the poor brown faces you see on this blog.
African States do not focus on niche diplomatic practices outside the continent or inside the continent. Unfortunately because of this lack of practice, they underestimate the role which they play in promoting the niche diplomatic practices of middle, super and super power states.
The practice of "water diplomacy" by governments and foreign non profit organizations, simply shapes and reinforces niche diplomatic practices of middle, super and super power states in Africa.
Middle Power states from Asia, like South Korea are also using this “water diplomacy” to offer help and soften their image, their brand, and their contribution to underdeveloped African Countries and Southeast Asian Countries. African Countries unknowingly or knowingly feed their narrative of needing to be saved, if you will "Diplomacy of Dependency" .
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF WATER SCARCITY IN AFRICA?
The cause of water scarcity and the issues within water security in Africa can be blamed on the three major pollution culprits: Climatic, Industrial and Environmental.
Deforestation(Industrial pollution) in Sub-Saharan Africa has caused a process of desertification(Climatic & Environmental pollution).
“The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture”
Water Scarcity in Africa can be blamed on the exploitation of natural resources, dumping of industrial wastes and the selling of land to foreign interests.
The link between selling land and water scarcity is the massive deforestation that takes place in a short amount of time. It also includes the disruption of water cycles that also play in the role of climate issues in the region.
“Have you picked up a bottle of water or noticed bottles of water with a brown face on it? Usually with a sticker “With every purchase spent, $1 goes to poor children or (****cough, cough) impoverished children in poor (***Cough, Cough***)developing African countries....”
I hope you have seen the rather crafty ways countries maintain their image through niche diplomacy.
****Before I go, I mentioned the possibility of nuclear power. Nuclear Power from Victoria Falls in Zambia with the assistance of a friend that is known in the West for Hard Power. Everyone has an appreciation for attraction and persuasiveness.
Next week, we will take at our Water Mythology & Folklore Stories.