World Water Day

The African Union (AU) has declared 2026 as the Year of “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” This theme elevates water and sanitation to a continental political priority, recognizing them as catalysts for economic transformation, climate resilience, public health, food security, and regional stability. The theme was launched during the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Addis Ababa on 14 February 2026. Despite progress, millions of Africans still lack safe water and sanitation, undermining health, productivity, and human dignity. Climate change is intensifying water stress through droughts, floods, and hydrological disruptions. The 2026 Theme responds to this urgent challenge by placing water and sanitation at the center of Africa’s development and climate agenda. This presents a significant opportunity to drive transformative, climate resilient, and people centered investments in water and sanitation. It ...

  Water is at the centre of economic development, social cohesion and environmental sustainability in Africa, supporting various sectors such as domestic use, agriculture, construction and industry. In 2021, 79% of Africa’s fresh water went towards the agriculture sector, which employs over 45% of African workers and is heavily dependent on rainfall and groundwater. Water is also a key catalyst in industrial development as a raw resource and for operations like cooling and cleaning. An estimated 1.8 billion people were expected to be living in regions with absolute water scarcity by 2025. Chad, Niger and Somalia were reported to be the least water-secure countries in Africa in 2022. In Sub-Saharan Africa, access to clean and safe water remains a significant challenge, with access to basic water services estimated at 58% in 2024, and access to basic sanitation estimated at 47%. Approximately 115 people in Africa die every hour from diseases linked to poor sanitation, poor hygiene an...

 Africa’s freshwater resources are estimated to be nearly 9% of the world’s total. However, these water resources are unevenly distributed, with the six most water-rich countries in Central and Western Africa holding 54% of the continent’s total water resources and the 27 most water-poor countries holding only 7%. About 73% of the total population of Sub-Saharan Africa did not use safely managed drinking water services in 2017. An estimated 14% of Africa’s population (about 160 million people) currently live under conditions of water scarcity, due in part to the uneven distribution of water resources as well as inequalities in the access to clean and portable water services .