Water security for development : insights from African partnerships in action

The world is changing. Globalisation brings new pressures and creates new opportunities. Population increase and economic growth are both making heavier demands on our natural resources. Climate change threatens to exacerbate existing stresses, with some regions facing severe and increasing resource scarcity. As resource pressures mount, countries will have to alter the course of national development towards more sustainable paths. Water, which is central to development and food security, must be managed better. This report draws on the experience of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) in Africa to demonstrate the potential of partnerships in rising to new development challenges. This experience was gained through five years of facilitating planning processes for integrated water resources management (IWRM) in 13 countries spread over four regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The IWRM Programme facilitated the preparation of national IWRM plans while supporting the development of new, emerging and pre-existing partnerships. It also sought to integrate water fully into poverty reduction strategies, and increase access to financing instruments to support water management. [authors abstract]