POLICY ON WATER

Description

POLICY ON WATER

This new Policy on Water provides a general
framework for the African Development Bank Group’s
water sector. Building on the achievements of the
2000 Integrated Water Resources Management
(IWRM) Policy, the Policy on Water seeks to develop
and improve water resources management and thus
enhance water security at household, national and
regional levels in Africa. This will enable the increasingly
sustainable development and management of Africa’s
limited water resources to support both inclusive and
green growth
In accordance with its Strategy for 2013-2022 (Ten
Year Strategy), the Bank Group’s vision for water
security is an Africa where there is an equitable and
sustainable use and management of water resources
for poverty alleviation, socio-economic development,
regional cooperation and the environment, also in
line with the Africa Water Vision 2025. In so doing,
the Bank seeks to be the premier partner in achieving
water security for inclusive and sustainable growth
in Africa. The new Policy on Water is developed at
a time when the Bank, for the sake of accelerating
the implementation of its Ten-Year Strategy, has set
five priority areas of intervention. These are the ‘High
5s’, namely: (i) Light Up and Power Africa, (ii) Feed
Africa, (iii) Integrate Africa, (iv) Industrialize Africa, and,
(v) Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.
Furthermore, given the cross-cutting role of water
resources in the development agenda, achieving the objectives of the High 5s in a sustainable manner will
require attaining water security in the Bank Group’s
regional member countries and sub-regions.
The over-arching objective of the new Policy is to
enhance Africa’s water security and transform its water
assets to foster sustainable, green and inclusive socio-
economic growth and development. Specifically, the
Bank aims to: promote the attainment of a minimum
platform of water security at both national and regional
levels within the continent with a special focus on areas
of fragility; and assist the countries and sub-regional
groups to harness and sustain the productive potential
of their water resources to support their development.
To this end, the Bank will play a premier partner role
in actively promoting the integrated development
and management of Africa’s water sector through
sound and sustainable financial assistance and expert
advisory services.
To pursue its vision for the water sector, the following four
principles will guide the Bank Group’s interventions: (i)
attainment of water security at household, national and
regional levels should be recognised as a key outcome
fundamental for inclusive growth; (ii) equitable social
welfare and economic growth require the application
of the IWRM approach; (iii) promoting sustainable and
equitable access to water services is an enabler for
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and (iv)
transboundary water resources management and
development should be recognised as a significant
requirement to achieve seamless regional economic
integration.
Accordingly, seven operational elements will guide
the Bank’s actions in implementing the new Policy.
These are: (i) economic valuation of water resources,
pricing of water services and cost recovery; (ii)
sustainable, smarter and more resilient infrastructure;
(iii) governance and enabling environment; (iv)
financing and investments; (v) the multi-purpose use
of water and ecosystems approach; (vi) knowledge
management, innovation, technology and research;
and (vii) participation and inclusiveness.
The multi-purpose nature of water involves various
interest groups at the national and regional level
as well as within the Bank Group itself. The priority
areas of focus (water sub-sectors) in the new Policy
are (i) water supply and sanitation, (ii) agricultural
water management, and (iii) sustainable water use for
energy production. Further sub-sectors of the Bank
Group’s intervention include: (iv) urban development,
(v) transportation, (vi) industry and tourism, and
(vii) water-related disaster risk management. To
maximize the impact of the Bank’s resources and
promote a coordinated approach to water-related
interventions across sectors, the Bank will establish
an internal coordination mechanism for water related
interventions. The mechanism will be overseen by a
Policy on Water Cross-sector Coordination Committee
(PoWCCC, see Annex IX) with adequate capacity,
resources and appropriate skills. The PoWCCC will
guide the successful application of the four principles
that steer this policy. Furthermore, the PoWCCC will
support the coherent and successful implementation
of the concepts of water security and integrated water
resources development and management both within
the Bank Group, and at the national and sub-regional
level on the continent in close collaboration with the
African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW).
The execution of the Bank Group’s Policy on Water
will be monitored through impact and implementation
level indicators (see Annex I). These point to medium-
term sector level strategies and action plans which will
contain relevant key performance indicators to provide
benchmarks for monitoring and evaluation of the Bank
Group’s operations in support of water security in
Africa.
The Boards of Executive Directors of the African
Development Bank Group approved the Policy on
Water on May 14, 2021. 8POLICY ON WATER