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Ph: DR: World Water Day – 2023 Edition
Celebrated this Wednesday, March 22, 2023, World Water Day promotes universal access to safe drinking water and sustainable sanitation in Africa is possible by 2030 and is within reach of African leaders. The proposed three pathways describe how to unlock and grow an unprecedented pipeline of investable water projects through better risk sharing.
This is the key message of the High Level International Panel on Water Sector Investments in Africa, which released a landmark report, Africa’s Rising Investment Tide, on the occasion of World Water Day, March 22, 2023, during the United Nations Water Conference 2023, in New York. Sixteen heads of state and senior development officials sit on the panel.
The expert panel report outlines three pathways to securing an additional $30 billion to deliver water security and sustainable sanitation in Africa by 2030 on the continent:
- Path 1. Increase the impact of spending and leverage in the water sector
- Path 2. Mobilize domestic resources
- Path 3. Mobilize global and continental investments and financing
About $50 billion per year, or $40 per African per year, is needed to ensure universal access to safe drinking water and sustainable sanitation in Africa by 2030. Currently, $10-19 billion is invested each year.
The expert panel report paves the way for a breakthrough investment partnership between African governments and institutional investors in Africa and abroad. The proposed three pathways outline how to unlock and grow an unprecedented pipeline of investable water projects, through better risk sharing between public and private finance. The result would be an unprecedented acceleration in the pace and scale of financing to respond to the current global water and climate emergency.
Every dollar invested in climate-resilient water and sanitation yields at least $7 in societal and economic gains through improvements in health, education, energy, food security, a healthy environment, gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals.
About the Africa Water Sector Investment Program (AIP): The Continental Africa Water Sector Investment Program (AIP) was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union under the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa – Priority Action Plan 2 (PIDA-PAP 2) during the 34th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit on 7 February 2021. Investments in the water sector in Africa are well below the targets set to meet the growing needs of the continent. It is estimated that at least US$30 billion per year needs to be invested to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 target on water and sanitation. Currently, only US$10-19 billion is invested annually. The AIP aims to close the investment gap in the water sector by mobilizing at least an additional $30 billion per year by 2030 and creating five million jobs towards the achievement of the African Vision 2025 and the water-related SDG targets in 2030. His Excellency Macky Sall, President of Senegal and Chairman-in-Office of the African Union, officially launched the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments. water sector in Africa during the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal, in March 2022. The Panel is convened by seven agencies who jointly adopted a resolution to convene the Panel in August 2021: the Council of African Ministers of Water, the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Development Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, the Global Center for Adaptation and the Global Partnership for water. The Panel attracts representatives of current and former Heads of State as well as other world leaders. The mandate of the AIP High Level Group is to generate global political mobilization and international commitment to meet the continent’s socio-economic needs, achieve SDG 6 and other water-related goals, and address the twin challenges climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
African countries are currently losing up to $200 billion a year due to insufficient investment, combined with the effects of climate change. More than 300 million Africans do not have access to drinking water and more than 700 million do not have access to a good sanitation system. If left unchecked, climate change will exacerbate water shortages and lead to more food insecurity, disease, population displacement and conflict, and hamper economic development on the continent.
The panel proposes a five-point action plan for Heads of State and Government, business and global leaders to support the implementation of the three courses of action: Building leadership intersectoral policy at the highest level, with the commitment to substantially increase public budgets and investments for water security and sustainable sanitation; Monitor progress and strengthen mutual accountability for results in water sector investment mobilization and peer review mechanisms at all levels of governance. Reaffirm the commitment to allocate at least 5% of national budgets to the water and sanitation sector and 0.5% of GDP per year to sanitation and hygiene programs; Mobilize new sources of finance and innovative financing by supporting matchmaking, with a focus on climate-resilient approaches, public-private blended finance and transformative approaches to gender equality women ; Strengthen institutional regulation for water investments, create incentives and penalties for better water use across multiple industries to drive water management, biodiversity and protection efforts ecosystems; Use ODA to de-risk investments in the water sector and leverage larger sources of finance.
Quotes from the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa Panel Co-Chairs “If we don’t achieve water security and sustainable sanitation on the African continent we will fail at all of the Sustainable Development Goals. The appropriate development, governance and use of water resources is therefore a central part of the African continent’s overall development trajectory and will drive that development as well as offer significant employment opportunities. The release of this report marks a watershed moment. We are offered an opportunity to change course and reconsider the way we are think about investing in water and sanitation.” – H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of United Republic of Tanzania (Alternate Co-Chair)
The Panel is an initiative of the Water Agenda and will contribute to achieving water-related actions in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report provides information on the High Level Panel’s investment plan to be released at the 2023 SDG Summit in September 2023.
“Currently, only US$10-19 billion is invested in the water sector each year, which is below the US$30 billion amount required to meet the continent’s water needs by 2030. there is therefore reason to fill this gap by intensifying advocacy and above all action, if we want to be there for 2030.” Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, President of the African Union (2022), Co-president
“The Netherlands has been honored to provide guidance to this great African-led initiative. Now the real work begins: developing the programs, creating the conditions, preparing the investors to intervene! The 2023 UN Water Conference is the place to connect these dots.” – Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (co-chair).
Maryanne Muriuki
Communication Specialist: Disaster Risk Reduction Unit, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission
