Africa Should Shift to Integrated Water Management, Transboundary Cooperation: ECA Executive Secretary

Addis Ababa, April 27, 2026 —United Nations Under Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Claver Gatete, has called for a decisive shift from fragmented water management approaches to integrated planning and stronger transboundary cooperation to secure Africa’s water future.

The United Nations ECA, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank, and UN system partners, organized the Twelfth Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD 2026).

The Forum will take place from 28 to 30 April 2026 at the United Nations Conference Centre, ECA Headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the theme: “Turning the Tide: Transformative and Coordinated Actions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.”

 

Addressing the pre-session meetings today, Gatete said climate change is making water more unpredictable, scarcer in some places, and more destructive in others.

He stressed that water must now be treated not only as a social concern but also as a critical economic and environmental priority.

Despite Africa’s vast endowment of water resources, millions across the continent still lack access to even basic drinking water, he said.

He further noted that more than 60 percent of Africa’s land falls within transboundary river basins, underscoring the critical need for strengthened cooperation among countries.

The executive secretary  noted that water remains undervalued in investment planning, with efforts often fragmented and uncoordinated, stressing the need for Africa to speak with one voice, particularly as the African Union has declared 2026 the Year of Water.

He outlined key priorities to guide collective action, including recognizing water as a pillar of economic infrastructure, shifting from fragmented approaches to integrated planning, and strengthening transboundary cooperation.

African Union Commission Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, Moses Vilakati, said the African Union has taken a historic step by declaring 2026 as the Year of Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems.

 

He stated that the commitment signals a shift, placing water from the margins of technical discussions to the center of Africa’s political and economic agenda.

The commissioner noted that the continent’s challenges are intensifying under climate change, with recurring droughts and devastating floods disrupting hydrological cycles, adding that prioritizing water in 2026 positions it as a key instrument for building climate resilience.

He emphasized the need to systematically integrate climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, and ecosystem protection into water strategies, stressing that equity and universal access must guide all water and sanitation policies.

 

The commissioner underscored that transboundary water cooperation remains a continental priority, noting that Africa’s shared rivers, lakes, and aquifers require strong coordination at the governance level.

The Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development 2026 will bring together African ministers, senior government officials, policymakers, experts, civil society, youth representatives, academia, the private sector, and development partners to review progress on selected Sustainable Development Goals and advance coordinated actions to accelerate sustainable development across the continent.