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potential of the continent is estimated at more than 42,5 million ha and although only 13,4 million ha is under irrigation , it is by far the most widespread form of water management .
Moreover , 93 % of the African population rely on rainfall to live or even survive . Additional attention to agricultural water management would pay dividends because agricultural growth is the key to reducing poverty in Africa and driving economic development .
Africa is well-resourced in terms
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of water resources , yet water withdrawals are less than 3 % of total renewable resources . In addition to this , a recent study about the “ institutional architecture ” for AWM in Africa found that there are numerous African institutions with AWM capacities and expertise , but none , nor any existing coalition of institutions , can offer the full range of specialties and degree of coordination needed to meet the challenges faced by African stakeholders .
Water is a crucial resource with
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great implications for African development . The freshwater situation in Africa , however , is not encouraging . Of the estimated inhabitants ( over a billion people ) who live on the African continent , more than 300 million live in a water-scarce environment . In the year 2000 , 300 million Africans or one third of the total population , had no access to drinking water .
In the same year , the average life expectance was 41 years . The annual average precipitation in Africa is 678 mm or about 20 360 km ³ with the driest country Egypt with 51 mm / year on average and with Sao Tome and Principe with three 200 mm / year . Africa ’ s total area is 30 million km ² or 22 % of the world ’ s emerged landmass . The cultivated area is estimated at 211 million ha or 27 % of the cultivable land on the continent .
Africa ’ s renewable water
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for agriculture , 10 % for domestic purposes and 4 % for industry .
The total dam capacity in Africa is 798 km3 , of which 726 km3 relates to the capacity of 53 large dams built in 22 river basins . Large dams with a total capacity of 643 km3 exist on the nine international river basins . The Southern Region contains more than one-third of the total dam capacity on the continent ( 39 %), followed by the Gulf of Guinea Region ( 29 %) and the Northern Region ( 24 %), while the Central Region and the Indian Ocean Islands Region , the most humid on the continent , have a small dam capacity . Five main dams ( situated in the three regions with the highest capacity on the continent ) total 565 km3 of capacity , or 71 % of the total capacity in Africa . The dam with the largest capacity is the Kariba Dam ( 188 km3 ). More than half of the dams are in the Southern Region .
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Renewable water resources for the whole of Africa amount to about 3 930 km ³ or less than 9 % of global renewable resources and the average in 2004 per inhabitant was 4 530 m ³/ inhabitant that ranges from 25 m ³/ inhabitant for Egypt to 121 392 m ³/ inhabitant for Gabon . In Africa , seven countries have lower internal renewable water resources than the cut-off point of 50 m ³/ inhabitant per year .
The total dam capacity is 798 km ³ of which 726 km ³ relates to the capacity of 53 large dams build in 22 river basins . The annual total water withdrawal for Africa is 215 km ³ - or barely 5,5 % of the renewable water resources on the continent . On a continental scale , 86 % of renewable water used
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The annual total water withdrawal for Africa is 215 km3 , or barely 5.5 % of the renewable water resources on the continent and less than 6 % of world withdrawals . On a continental scale , 86 % of inventoried withdrawals are used for agriculture , a value higher than the global agricultural water withdrawal of 70 %. However , this figure varies substantially at regional level . The Sudano- Sahelian and the Indian Ocean Islands Regions have the highest levels of agricultural withdrawals ( 95 and 94 %, respectively , of the total regional water withdrawal ), while the Central Region uses only 56 % of its withdrawals for agriculture . The annual precipitation in this region allows rain fed agriculture , which is not feasible in the dry countries . |