An Introduction to Food and Water

(Source: The Conversation)

Over the course of the next few months, the purpose of this blog is to explore the relationship between food and water in Africa. Access to water is featured in the UN’s sustainable development goals, namely goal 6 “By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all”. This goal is linked to goal 2 “By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.” It is undeniable that food and water are inextricably linked as food cannot be grown without water and around 70% of water used worldwide is for agriculture.

Water scarcity is caused by a variety of factors, but the physical landscape itself influences the amount of water available. Figure 1 shows the variations in groundwater storage across Africa. It is important to note that groundwater storage is considerably larger in parts of northern Africa, despite common beliefs that the whole continent of Africa is dry and arid.  In Africa, many farmers rely on rainfall as the form of irrigation. The unreliable nature of precipitation puts farmers’ harvest at risk. The problem is heightened by evapotranspiration. Evapotranspiration uses up around 70-90% of precipitation, which means that the volume of water required to grow crops is high.

 

Figure 1 - Groundwater storage in Africa

Source: British Geological Survey

  

It is estimated that 1.8 billion people in 2025 will live in areas affected by water scarcity. It should be recognised that although some people see population increase as the root cause of water and food scarcity, the problem lies within wider issues related to the economy and to politics. Indigenous communities have built water management systems and if these systems were further developed, it could possibly help to solve the water crisis. However, large-scale land grabs are taking place which is ruining these water systems. The scramble for land in Africa is a result of the desire for water across the globe, causing uneven access to water in Africa.

I will be exploring the challenges faced relating to water supply in Africa, including water accessibility, food security and land grabbing. I hope to explore these topics with an open mind and in order to avoid making any sweeping statements, I will zoom in and focus on individual countries instead of generalising the African continent as a whole.