Foresight in Agriculture, Food and Nutrition for Planning Freshwater in the Course of Climate Change in Africa

Abstract

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been designed as a foresight process for world leaders to solve communities’ issues dealing with water uncertainty in agriculture, food and nutrition as well as other related industries. That is why a Global Water Partnership (GWP) was initiated in 1992 by the United Nations to develop water and place it to the center of the political and economic concerns of the member States with an aim to mobilize resources that are necessary to manage water rationally. A focus was put on more than two billion poor people living without access to adequate potable drinking water, among whom more than three-quarters (¾) of the African populations living in poor areas and unurbanized cities. Predictions show that by the 2050, most of this population will be living in African megacities. This will be amplifying the “3As” of water issues: Water Availability, Accessibility and Affordability. Solving this major crisis in prospect requires foresight, both as a process and an analytical tool to address these key issues in the course of climate change. As a process, foresight involves consultation among stakeholders to ensure socio-political, economic, agro-natural and engineering technological solutions to “Develop and Avail Water to All! “. This process, would later require an evaluation of the feedbacks to and from these proposed solutions and their tools. These may include among other strategies and legislations for water policies; innovative techniques for irrigation (production, storage, transport and distribution of water) and hydro-power generation; Payments for water ecosystems services (PWES); and various management operating systems for risk control and mitigation at the watershed and community levels. However, the uncoordinated efforts of scientists working the climate adaptation, mitigation and amelioration spheres have generated another threat, that of climate intervention in the form of solar Geoengineering. African leaders, thus need foresight to check closely opportunities and dangers arising from these technologies. They require a neutral organization having to conduct rigorous socio-economic and environmental impacts assessments prior to embracing these technologies. That is the only way they may ensure a climatic justice to peasants and farmers so that they can leave a legacy in the agriculture, food and nutrition niche for the next generations