Why partnerships are key to water security in Africa

The author asserts that water scarcity is a primary barrier to Africa's progress, threatening food security and potentially risking nearly half of the continent's GDP by 2050. Using SABMiller's initiatives as a model, the text advocates for businesses to move beyond internal water-reduction targets and engage in external partnerships to protect shared water resources, such as removing invasive plants in South Africa or rehabilitating springs in Zambia.

• Water scarcity is a central driver of food insecurity in Africa, where one in seven people currently face hunger, and is exacerbated by climate change and unpredictable rainfall.
• Water insecurity poses a severe threat to Africa's future economic stability, with the International Food Policy Research Institute warning that nearly 50% of the continent's GDP could be at risk from water stress by 2050.
• In South Africa, the gap between water supply and demand is projected to reach 17% by 2030 due to a fast-growing population.
• SABMiller demonstrates the efficacy of partnership-based water management through projects such as clearing non-indigenous invasive plants in the Southern Cape of South Africa and rehabilitating a local spring in Ndola, Zambia.

APA

Swaithes, A. (2015). Why partnerships are key to water security in Africa. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/geographies-in-depth/why-partnerships-are-key-to-water-security-in-africa/

Chicago

Swaithes, Anna. Why partnerships are key to water security in Africa. World Economic Forum, 2015. https://www.weforum.org/stories/geographies-in-depth/why-partnerships-are-key-to-water-security-in-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Swaithes |first1=Anna |title=Why partnerships are key to water security in Africa |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=15 June 2015 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/geographies-in-depth/why-partnerships-are-key-to-water-security-in-africa/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{swaithes2015why, author = {Swaithes, Anna}, title = {{Why partnerships are key to water security in Africa}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/geographies-in-depth/why-partnerships-are-key-to-water-security-in-africa/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }