Disputes and conflicts over water in Africa

Abstract

Recent years have been marked by a growing awareness that the world’s freshwater supplies represent a scarce and critically important resource that is also extremely vulnerable to human activities (Biswas 1993; Delli Priscoli 1998). Indeed, since water cannot be substituted, neither biological diversity nor social and economic development can be sustained in its absence. Another important aspect to emerge from the growing public awareness of the importance of water is the realization that water has both productive and destructive properties. Typically, adequate supplies of good quality water enable communities and countries to attain and sustain all of their social and economic development aspirations (Falkenmark 1989; Biswas 1993). In this process, water also acts as an important agent for co-operation and benefit sharing between communities and countries (Turton 2002). Against a background formed by the availability and distribution of water and the likely trajectories of change in demand for water across the African continent, this paper briefly discusses the types of situations where disputes or conflicts have occurred over access to water. Specific consideration is given to the need for African countries to develop new collaborative policies and strategies that will allow them jointly to attain their development goals while simultaneously avoiding the looming potential for conflict over water resources.