Youth And Water Security In Africa

Abstract

The sustenance of life through nutrition, health maintenance and provision of support infrastructure across many social-economic as well as environmental sectors has clean water availability and affordability requirements. Water security is inherent in the targets of both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Africa Agenda 2063. Meeting of water quantity and quality needs is challenging in many regions due to rapidly growing population, high urbanization rates and industrial expansion in sectors such as agriculture, construction and manufacturing. As an illustration, the medium projection of Africa’s 2030 population by the UN is 1.68 billion people, compared to 1.19 billion people in 2015. Effective exploration of ideas for ensuring water security in Africa must involve tapping of intellectual resources of youth and women. This publication on Youth and Water Security in Africa, which comprises 25-refereed articles co-authored by youth including female scientists primarily from Africa, derives from collaboration among UNESCO’s Division of Water Sciences, the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and the International Science Council (ISC) Regional Office for Africa (ROA). Scientists, engineers, researchers, and policy-makers in the water resources and security sector will cherish the data, models, designs, and policy frameworks that are included in this publication.