Staff Reporter
THE Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, delivered a speech on the 2023 UN Action Agenda. He stated that the proposal to increase domestic financial resources to enhance Africa’s water security and sanitation will not be a silver bullet solution, as the continent is grappling with climate change and political instability.
The minister made these remarks in Stockholm, Sweden, when he officially inaugurated a panel discussion on the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa. The event took place on the sidelines of the Stockholm World Water Week.
The High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa and the African Union Commission (AUC) are working on an Investment Action Plan. This plan will outline specific actions required to mobilise an additional US$30 billion per year towards water security and sustainable sanitation.
The High-Level Panel has suggested that an extra $2 billion per year could be raised from African government budgets through a 20% increase in funding for water security and sanitation. This initiative is part of the UN Water Action Agenda.
Addressing the feasibility of this approach, Schlettwein noted that while acknowledging the need for this ambitious plan and recognizing that the outcomes of the UN Water 2023 Water Conference Action Agenda for Africa are pointing African countries in the right direction, the world is confronting a three-fold crisis.
“First, we face the climate change crisis. The effects are now evident, with increased intensity in droughts, floods, out-of-season storms, intense wildfires, and resulting floods, as well as unprecedented heatwaves, glacier melting, and rising ocean levels. All these climate changes are significantly impacting the water cycle, making secure water supply more challenging, costlier, and often unattainable for developing countries. Shortfalls in the required funding to address climate change and related water cycle aspects remain significant,” Schlettwein stated.
The minister further elaborated that Africa is also contending with a financial crisis. “The current international financial architecture shows its age and is no longer capable of coping with a globalized world. The current debt crisis, exchange rate trends, and the manipulation of financial regulations are exacerbating inequality and making the future prospects for developing economies difficult. This is particularly relevant for Africa, given its youthful population. Creating a conducive economic climate for quality economic growth and job creation is crucial to ensuring prosperity for our children,” said the Minister of Agriculture.
In conclusion, Schlettwein remarked that the continent is experiencing a political crisis, with wars and political instability on the rise. He emphasized that the multilateral system of the UN is significantly skewed and no longer suited for purpose, as the majority of global citizens are excluded from decision-making. “Our own AU lacks the decisiveness to address continental political instability. Economic and other resource scarcities increase the possibility of conflict, and water scarcity is one such resource scarcity. The ability to resolve transboundary disputes becomes less likely when political instability is increasing. Ultimately, development is unattainable without political stability,” Schlettwein concluded.
He further concluded that the proposed action plan represents an important initial step towards implementing Africa’s agenda for the UN’s 2023 Water Action Agenda in Africa. However, all the aforementioned factors need to be taken into consideration.
Caption: Calle Schlettwein.
