Déclaration médiatique : La crise de l’eau en Afrique expose le coût d’un système financier mondial défaillant

A media statement by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) arguing that Africa's water crisis is driven by a failing global financial system, chronic under-investment, and a debt crisis that prioritizes repayments over essential public services.

• Africa faces a significant funding gap for water infrastructure, with current annual investments of 10 to 19 billion dollars falling short of the additional 30 billion dollars needed annually to address the problem.
• The water crisis is exacerbated by a debt crisis where African governments spend an average of 18.7% of public revenue on debt repayment, with external debt payments projected at 90 billion dollars in 2026. Public debt on the continent is approximately 2.1 trillion dollars, exceeding 60% of GDP, with 21 countries in or at high risk of debt distress.
• African countries face biased credit rating systems and dollar-dominated capital markets, resulting in average interest rates of 9.1%, which is significantly higher than rates in Asia (4.7%) and Latin America (6.5%).
• Water insecurity is severe, with approximately 411 million people in Africa lacking basic drinking water in 2020, including over 387 million in sub-Saharan Africa. By 2050, the African urban population is expected to reach 1.4 billion, with 162 million urban residents potentially facing perennial water shortages.
• AFRODAD calls for systemic reforms, including a UN framework convention on sovereign debt, increased concessional financing and grants for water and climate adaptation, the reform of global credit rating systems to remove structural biases, and the protection of water and sanitation budgets from austerity cuts.

APA

African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (2026). Déclaration médiatique : La crise de l’eau en Afrique expose le coût d’un système financier mondial défaillant. https://www.afrodad.org/campaign/statements/declaration-mediatique-la-crise-de-leau-en-afrique-expose-le-cout-dun-systeme

Chicago

African Forum and Network on Debt and Development. Déclaration médiatique : La crise de l’eau en Afrique expose le coût d’un système financier mondial défaillant. 2026. https://www.afrodad.org/campaign/statements/declaration-mediatique-la-crise-de-leau-en-afrique-expose-le-cout-dun-systeme.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=African Forum and Network on Debt and Development |title=Déclaration médiatique : La crise de l’eau en Afrique expose le coût d’un système financier mondial défaillant |date=13 February 2026 |url=https://www.afrodad.org/campaign/statements/declaration-mediatique-la-crise-de-leau-en-afrique-expose-le-cout-dun-systeme |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{africanforumandnetworkondebtanddevelopment2026dclaration, author = {{African Forum and Network on Debt and Development}}, title = {{Déclaration médiatique : La crise de l’eau en Afrique expose le coût d’un système financier mondial défaillant}}, publisher = {African Forum and Network on Debt and Development}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://www.afrodad.org/campaign/statements/declaration-mediatique-la-crise-de-leau-en-afrique-expose-le-cout-dun-systeme}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }