Concept Paper: Expert Roundtable: Climate Change and Transboundary Water Conflicts in Africa: Legal, Policy and Institutional Challenges

The document serves as a framework for a workshop hosted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Mombasa, Kenya, in September 2009. It argues that climate change, water scarcity, and energy deficits are critical drivers of conflict and underdevelopment in Africa. The paper highlights the Nile River Basin as a primary area of concern due to the lack of a comprehensive agreement binding all riparian states and the increasing competition for water resources among growing populations. It identifies the vulnerability of pastoralist communities to drought and the inadequacy of the African Union's response to climate change. The workshop aims to develop strategies for the joint management of water resources, assess the 'Helsinki Rules' for international water utilization, and explore the role of international actors and civil society in preventing water-related conflicts.

• Water scarcity is projected to affect a significant portion of the global and African populations by 2025, with the World Resources Institute predicting that nearly 50 percent of the world's population will face scarcity.
• The Nile River Basin is particularly vulnerable to conflict because there is no comprehensive agreement on water use that binds all riparian states, and existing agreements primarily benefit Egypt and Sudan.
• Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from severe energy infrastructure deficits, with more than 30 of 48 countries experiencing acute energy crises; the region's total generation capacity is 63 GW, which drops to 28 GW if South Africa is excluded.
• Climate change and persistent droughts have devastating impacts on pastoralist livelihoods, as these communities depend on livestock in arid environments where water and pasture are critical for survival.
• The African Union's response to climate change is described as insufficient, hindered by the conflicting needs and interests of member states, which has slowed the implementation of national climate policies.
• The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), launched in 1999 as a successor to TECCONILE, seeks to promote sustainable socio-economic development through the equitable use of common water resources among ten riparian countries.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). Concept Paper: Expert Roundtable: Climate Change and Transboundary Water Conflicts in Africa: Legal, Policy and Institutional Challenges. https://issafrica.org/topics/environmental-security-and-climate-change/29-sep-2009-iss-seminar-kenya-climate-change-and-transboundary-water-conflicts-in-africa-legal-policy-and-institutional-challenges-29-30-septe/29-sep-2009-concept-paper-expert-roundtable-climate-change-and-

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Concept Paper: Expert Roundtable: Climate Change and Transboundary Water Conflicts in Africa: Legal, Policy and Institutional Challenges. 2009. https://issafrica.org/topics/environmental-security-and-climate-change/29-sep-2009-iss-seminar-kenya-climate-change-and-transboundary-water-conflicts-in-africa-legal-policy-and-institutional-challenges-29-30-septe/29-sep-2009-concept-paper-expert-roundtable-climate-change-and-.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Concept Paper: Expert Roundtable: Climate Change and Transboundary Water Conflicts in Africa: Legal, Policy and Institutional Challenges |date=29 September 2009 |url=https://issafrica.org/topics/environmental-security-and-climate-change/29-sep-2009-iss-seminar-kenya-climate-change-and-transboundary-water-conflicts-in-africa-legal-policy-and-institutional-challenges-29-30-septe/29-sep-2009-concept-paper-expert-roundtable-climate-change-and- |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009concept, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Concept Paper: Expert Roundtable: Climate Change and Transboundary Water Conflicts in Africa: Legal, Policy and Institutional Challenges}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.org/topics/environmental-security-and-climate-change/29-sep-2009-iss-seminar-kenya-climate-change-and-transboundary-water-conflicts-in-africa-legal-policy-and-institutional-challenges-29-30-septe/29-sep-2009-concept-paper-expert-roundtable-climate-change-and-}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }