Water for Rural Africa (WRA) calls for immediate and urgent action to be taken to address the current drought gripping the south-western parts of South Africa.
It is worrying to note such a challenge in urban Africa. Immediate and drastic steps need to be taken to avert a crises situation. The importance of water to the socio economic needs of the continent cannot be over emphasized. Water is life.
No meaningful development can be achieved without a stable supply of clean affordable drinking water. It is worrying not to have adequate supply of water. It is alarming when the supply source of water becomes uncertain. This has the potential of not only rolling back the gains of development but also a clear source of conflict in the sub region. Africa has had one too many conflicts and a water crises at this moment in Africa’s most advanced economy could be spelling doom for the entire continent. We are appealing for this matter to be addressed as a matter of urgency. We are calling on the Southern African Development Corporation to convene without delay to find immediate short term solution to this situation. We are kicking against the short-term measures that was put in place by the authorities of Cape Town directing residents to cut down their daily water consumption by almost half, from 87 litres a day to 50 litres (13 gallons) a day since it is clearly unsustainable. A more sustainable solution such as investment in infrastructure needs to be immediately considered to provide for the short fall. Medium to long term measures should also be developed to strategically tackle this situation to prevent it from reoccurring.
We therefore make the following proposals in the short term;
- We call on the Ministry of Water and Sanitation and the authorities of the Western Cape Province to identify other sources of water in the sub region and redistribute water targeting the most affected communities. This will require a regional corporative effort and collaboration.
- Emergency service providers such as hospitals, schools should be identified and supported.
- Creation of water wells and provision of storage facilities closer to communities to provide a sense of hope
- Agri SA must take proactive measures to ensure farmers in the catchment area are provided with hand dug wells for irrigation purposes so as to ensure food security.
The world has set for itself a challenge to meet the water needs of its ever increasing population in the Sustainable Development Goals and in particular goal 6. Africa has a major role to play in meeting these targets most especially in the provision of potable clean drinking water. The African Union must make water an important issue on its agenda. We as an organization is willing to partner with the African Union and any organization as we work to meet the global needs to providing clean drinking water and sanitation to every community in Africa.
Water for Rural Africa is a Non-Governmental Organization with the prime focus of providing clean drinking water for rural Africa. We have set our self the target of providing ten million rural Africans clean drinking water and sanitation by the year 2030. Thank you.
Signed
Dr. Donald Agumenu
President/Founder
Water for Rural Africa (WRA)
Mob: +233-242147198
Joachim Cupid Kumapley
Projects and Programs Coordinator
Water for Rural Africa (WRA)
Mob: +233-248996367