Water and Food in Africa

It is helpful to have an overview of the available crop irrigation methods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the two primary ways farmers water crops is through irrigation and rain-fed farming. Irrigation pulls water from existing sources, such as groundwater, wells, or rivers, and feeds them into tubes and sprays to water crops. Although these crops are less susceptible to water shortages, they are at risk of contamination if the irrigation water sources are contaminated. Crops may be contaminated by agricultural runoff, such as from pesticides or fertilizers contaminating lakes during rainfall. Contaminated water is not only bad for crop growth, but also may be harmful to the people consuming those crops. Food-borne illnesses may spread through fruits or vegetables and make people sick ( CDC Water Contamination ). Although irrigation-fed crops have a more reliable water source, this source will run out if overused. Even so, irrigation can help provi...

In the face of extreme water scarcity, local governments established “Day Zero” as a day where strict water regulations and distribution would be imposed on its citizens. Day Zero would be implemented when dam levels dropped to 13.5%. In January 2018, Cape Town announced that it would be implementing Day Zero on its 4 million citizens on April 12, 2018 due to drought and lack of available water and rainfall ( City Lab ). As part of Day Zero, people would line up to collect a limited amount of water, roughly the amount of a two-minute shower daily per person. The idea of Day Zero made people extremely frantic and caused people to voluntarily cut back on their water consumption. When Cape Town residents’ water usage was cut by over half of the current usage ( Wolski 2018 ), Day Zero was cancelled.
 Figure 1: Cape Town is located on the southern most tip in South Africa ( Source ).  So what happened? How did Cape Town avoid this catastrophic day? 
Cancellation of Day Ze...

In many African countries, water is mainly used for agriculture like livestock watering and cropland irrigation. Why is this important? Inconsistent and scarce water supply directly impacts the continent’s agriculture and food production. Addressing this core issue can increase self-sufficiency and result in lower food scarcity levels in Africa ( Taylor 2004 ). Water consistency is especially important in areas with irregular or low rainfall. If irrigation systems are implemented, these areas would not be as susceptible to the vagaries of the changing climate. This is especially important as the impacts of climate change become more drastic. During the El Niño years, poor climate conditions often result in significant declines in agricultural production in parts of Africa. This negatively impacts standard of living and economic growth ( Baudoin et al. 2017 ). Figure 1: Water availability by country in Africa and expected availability for 2025 ( UNEP ). Water availability...

Welcome to my blog. Over the last four years, I have developed a keen interest in environmental issues with a particular focus on the impact of water availability in agriculture and on our food supply. Over the next few months, I will be blogging about these interests in relation to water and food issues in Africa. Food Insecurity in Africa Significant food insecurity exists in Africa. In 2016, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO ) reported that almost 30% of people in Africa were severely food insecure. In 2018, it was reported that Africa comprised 31% of the world’s undernourished people. Food insecurity in Africa has not gone unnoticed and global efforts have been put in place to address food insecurity. Under the 2014  Malabo Declaration  on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods, the African Union (AU) (made up of heads of state and local governments) pledged to end hunger in ...