GEO-6 for Youth: Africa
Divine Agborli
irrigation efficiency in Africa can improve substantially (Rohwer, Gerten and Lucht 2007). Global WUE is a little over US$15 per m3
, though
significant differences exist among countries and regions, with the lowest regional water-use efficiencies about US$2 per m3 Southern Asia, around US$7 per m3 US$8 per m3
in Northern Africa and Western Asia (Figure 5) (FAO 2018). in Central and in sub-Saharan Africa, and almost
Economic opportunities in wastewater recycling
Although wastewater is not pleasant to deal with, the economic and environmental potential of recycling it is immense. Wastewater can be a resource in different sectors, such as agriculture, fisheries, and power generation. Wastewater has been reused for centuries, especially for irrigation purposes due to freshwater shortage in arid and semi-arid parts of Africa (Ruma et al. 2010).
Fetching water in Accra, Ghana
The use of treated wastewater for irrigation of cash crops such as sisal and cotton can be of great use since the products are not consumed directly by people, but are instead sold to factories for further processing and subsequent production of goods such as clothes (Kimwaga, Nyomora, Mwegoha, Mahenge and Gastory 2013). In addition, wastewater can boost livelihoods through utilization in activities such as flower gardening.
Due to the increase in fish consumption and demand, treated wastewater from wetlands can be used for aquaculture (Kimwaga, Nyomora, Mwegoha, Mahenge and Gastory 2013). Such aquaculture farms can thrive due to the nutrients present in wastewater (Bansal et al. 2007).
Youth can play an important role in improving water use efficiency. Youth organizations can mobilize young people to have a sense of ownership and awareness about water use efficiency. They can also encourage collective actions and attitude change related to water use through participatory approaches.
Youth Action 21: Water-saving youth, Tunisia
Youth and youth leaders should be pivotal actors in tackling the conservation process of freshwater and play a key role in decision-making processes at all levels. For instance, the Tunisian Youth Alternative Network (Réseau Alternatif des Jeunes [RAJ] -TUNISIE) is one of these youth associations working on sustainable development with a focus on water issues, which is the main challenge in the region (RAJ 2018). RAJ-Tunisia supports youth projects related to the development of new technologies for water-saving devices for agricultural, domestic, and industrial use. Help can be financial or through capacity building processes. It was inspired by other recent youth movements in the world; horizontal and self-managed.
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Involving youth in the development of long-term planning is also of value, though youth have largely been absent from the development and implementation of policy (Patterns of Resilience to Drought Project Team [PRDPT] 2018), yet having an engaged and empowered youth is listed as one of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 Goals (African Union 2015). It is also important to remember that accounting for young people’s wellbeing is just as important as providing them with employment opportunities. Climate shocks, such as droughts, negatively impact the socio-economic and socio-ecological systems that affect youth mental health, intersecting with inequality, poor education, exclusion, and poor employability skills (PRDPT 2018). Moreover, due to their demographic dominance, young people can revolutionize water management paradigms through effective community mobilization. Involvement of, and collaboration with, youth in such policy development could, therefore, prove to be integral with regards to buy-in and future successes of these policies and the economy at large.
4.5 Water quality
Considering that water in many parts of Africa is used directly without any treatment, it’s not surprising that, water-related diseases in Africa are widely spread (Omole and Ndambuki 2014). According to WHO, more than 3.4 million people die every year from water- related diseases. The WHO reports that better water supply, proper management of water resources, sanitation, and hygiene can reduce the global disease burden by ten per cent (Prüss-Üstün, Bos, Gore and Bartram 2008). This is not only important to ensure people’s health, but also crucial to fostering sustainable livelihoods.
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