Different UN MDGs are water-related, health and education as well as gender equality in our education system. The most difficult MDGs have been those related to infant and material mortality – often linked to infectious diseases and lack of access to clean water.
Globally the objectives are to cut by 50% the proportion of people unable of accessing potable water and 100% access by 2025. In Africa, a number of about 330 million African peoples have no access to potable water and 600 million no access to sanitation.
Many water initiatives have been taken to improve food security in Africa. The African Development Bank Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative aims at meeting the basic water and sanitation needs of rural peoples – at least 80% – by 2015. Further, the African Water Facility, established in support of African Water Ministers, has the goal to enhance water management and enhance the investment environment. Furthermore, the NEPAD/AU Water and Sanitation program has the goal on the preparation of bankable projects for investment both by the public and private sector.
In Africa, food security is compromised by inadequate infrastructure for water storage, water management; and management and protection of our river basins, trans-boundary waterways, such as the Nile, the Congo, the Niger, the Zambezi, and Mano River. In the same vein, the Lake Chad is shrinking and farmers cultivating agricultural products around this Lake are recording famine. The Lake Victoria is showing high rate of pollution and its populations are recording low agricultural production.
At the continent level, several water programs to be implemented both in rural and urban areas, concern building new water storage capacity, water supply systems, rehabilitating networks and protection of our lakes, rivers and river basins, for water access and sanitation in order to contribute better irrigation, hydro power and other economic utilizations. All these activities to enhance nutrition and food security.
Amadou Tall