The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on Monday urged African states to place water at the heart of their development policies and to speak with one voice at the major international events scheduled for 2026.
Speaking at the opening of a high-level pre-event for the 12th African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, ECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete stated that water is no longer just a social issue, but “an economic, environmental, and security imperative.”
According to him, the continent has significant water resources, but more than 400 million Africans still lack access to basic drinking water, while roughly twice as many remain without basic sanitation services.
Gatete also noted that more than 60% of African land lies within transboundary river basins, making regional cooperation “not a choice, but a necessity.”
Faced with increasing climate shocks, geopolitical tensions and pressure on natural resources, he called for a reassessment of how the continent values and manages water.
“Water is not an isolated sector; it is a super-connector,” he stated,
emphasising its key role in agriculture, energy, industry, and urban quality of life.
The UN official cited several encouraging examples.
In North Africa, countries like Morocco are already integrating water management into renewable energy systems, while in West Africa and the Sahel, investments in irrigation are improving agricultural productivity and strengthening food security.
However, this progress remains insufficient and unevenly distributed, he warned, lamenting that water is still undervalued in public planning and that investments remain fragmented.
To address this, Claver Gatete proposed five priorities: recognizing water as an essential economic infrastructure, promoting integrated planning across water, energy, agriculture and climate, strengthening cross-border cooperation, increasing public and private financing and, above all, building a common African position.
“Africa must speak with one voice,” he insisted, as the African Union proclaimed 2026 the International Year of Water and the 2026 UN Water Conference and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development loomed.
The ECA stated its readiness to support member states through policy research, technical assistance, and its mobilisation capacity, in order to translate this ambition into concrete results.
ARD/te/Sf/fss/jn/APA