Management of Transboundary Waters

Sustainable Water Infrastructure: Visions and Options for Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Population increases, urbanisation, and the effects of climate change have increased the scarcity of water resources, which in turn increases the tension in the governance of shared water resources and worsens the competition between and among the sectors and uses of water resources. In addition, the increased reliance on groundwater sources and the confined nature of aquifers pose opportunities for conflict relating to abstraction rate, environmental pollution impact, and inadequate data and monitoring [204]. This leads to a conflict of ownership and control, with upstream or richer or more powerful nations seeking dominance [205].…”

“…Over time, the establishment of institutions and the application of diplomatic approaches for conflict resolution and cooperation have been used to manage transboundary water resources [204]. However, many have argued that, even though diplomacy is seen as a solution to resolve conflict, due to hydro-politics and hydro-hegemony, in some cases, it may lead to unintended conflict when cooperation is narrow, token-based, or coercive [206].…”

“…This risk of conflict and limited institutional capacity, especially with implementation, is particularly evident in Sub-Saharan Africa [206]. This is exacerbated by the fact that low-income nations are at the initial stages of water infrastructure development, and the possibility exists for contemplating the construction of large-scale infrastructure, such as dams to address some of their water-related problems [204]. Others have drawn on the masculine nature of transboundary water management with the focus being on economic, technical, and political operations with little or no attention paid to the needs of the users, and the effects on women and the poor [208,209].…”