Investment in water in African countries must be strengthened to accelerate sustainable development, climate resilience, and the continent's economic transformation. This warning was issued by Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, during the African Development Bank's 2026 Annual Meetings.

The intervention comes at a crucial time for the African Water Vision 2063, a strategy aimed at ensuring water security and safe sanitation for all African communities. The challenge combines a lack of infrastructure, demographic pressure, prolonged droughts, more frequent floods, and uneven institutional capacity among countries.

UNECA argues that water should no longer be treated merely as a social service, but should occupy a central place in economic, budgetary, and environmental choices. Without predictable funding, governments will struggle to expand urban networks, protect rural sources, reduce losses in systems, and create solutions adapted to territories most exposed to climate change.

The gap between needs and available resources has become a direct obstacle to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6. Therefore, the discussion has expanded beyond public works to include agriculture, energy, health, industry, employment, and ecosystem management.

The solution will require coordination between states, public banks, businesses, and local communities.

More than 400 million people in Africa lack access to basic drinking water, a deficiency that particularly affects rural areas, urban peripheries, and communities displaced by conflict or extreme weather events.

The lack of a regular water supply forces families to travel long distances, buy water at high prices, or resort to unsafe sources, posing risks to children, the elderly, and the sick. The sanitation deficit is even more widespread. More than 700 million Africans still lack access to safe services.

This situation increases the spread of waterborne diseases, reduces the dignity of families, and puts pressure on schools, hospitals, and markets. When sanitation facilities are nonexistent or inadequate, girls face higher school dropout rates, and women take on additional caregiving responsibilities.

The financial gap explains part of the delay. To meet Sustainable Development Goal 6, related to clean water and sanitation, Africa needs more than $50 billion a year.

According to Gatete, current investment is only between 12 and 15 billion dollars annually, an insufficient amount to build new networks, maintain existing infrastructure, and improve management. The difference between what is needed and what is available hinders public planning.

Many governments rely on tight budgets, external loans, and isolated projects, lacking the scale to respond to population growth. Climate instability exacerbates the problem because prolonged droughts reduce water flows and flash floods damage fragile systems.

Increasing investment in water infrastructure requires technical expertise, transparency, and coordination among institutions. Systems must be maintained after construction, with socially balanced tariffs and protection for vulnerable families.

Without this vision, new projects may fail just a few years after their inauguration, repeating cycles of waste and exclusion that have already hampered progress in various regions of the continent.

UNECA advocates for a profound shift in how governments, investors, and communities understand water resources. Water should not be seen merely as a service provided by a public entity, limited to the tap or the monthly bill. It sustains agriculture, energy production, public health, ecosystems, and economic activity.

When water is treated as a productive resource, investments cease to depend solely on social funds and become integrated into agricultural, energy, industrial, and urban plans. Watershed management becomes part of territorial development, with attention paid to the conservation of water sources and the efficient use of land.

The continent possesses rivers, lakes, aquifers, and an extensive coastline capable of supporting the blue economy, from fishing to transportation, tourism, and renewable energy. This potential remains limited when reliable data, storage infrastructure, usage rules, and mechanisms to prevent conflicts between users are lacking.

Viewing water as an investment asset means recognizing its economic value without disregarding its social character. Projects need to balance financial return, universal access, and environmental protection. Dams, pipelines, treatment plants, and digital management systems only make sense when they improve the lives of populations and reduce inequalities.

The climate crisis makes this approach even more urgent. Droughts in the Horn of Africa, floods in Southern Africa, and salinization in coastal areas show that water already defines food security, health, and economic stability. The response requires long-term planning, cross-border cooperation, and institutions capable of protecting the resource without excluding those who depend on it for their livelihood.

Gatete urged African countries to place water at the center of economic policies and public decision-making. This approach involves integrating water targets into national development plans, budgetary strategies, and investment frameworks. Without this alignment, ministries act in a scattered manner, and projects lose effectiveness.

The first priority is to improve investment in water through domestic financing. States need to mobilize public revenue, review misdirected subsidies, and attract private capital to areas with clear returns and defined social protection. Investment should cover water intake, treatment, distribution, drainage, and sanitation, including preventative maintenance to avoid rapid deterioration of infrastructure.

The second priority involves stronger institutions. Water management requires regular data on availability, consumption, network losses, and source quality. It also requires regulatory bodies capable of overseeing operators, protecting consumers, and establishing clear rules for urban and rural areas.

The third priority is regional cooperation. Rivers and aquifers cross borders, so no country can guarantee water security in isolation. Regional Economic Communities can support sharing agreements, flood warning systems, and dispute resolution mechanisms between states and riparian communities.

UNECA has stated its willingness to work with the African Development Bank, the African Union Commission, the Regional Economic Communities and other partners in implementing the African Water Vision 2063.

The strategy will only gain traction if commitments translate into funded projects, verifiable deadlines, and visible benefits for families, farmers, schools, and health units. Water must move from public discourse to daily action, with clear responsibilities, transparent contracts, and regular monitoring of results in each African territory.

UNECA's appeal places water at the center of the African economic agenda. The scale of the deficit shows that piecemeal responses are no longer sufficient to guarantee secure water supply, decent sanitation, and protection against climate shocks. The continent needs much greater investment, better institutional management, and cooperation between countries that share rivers, lakes, and aquifers.

The African Vision for Water 2063 offers a common reference point, but its implementation will depend on predictable budgets, well-maintained projects, and clear rules. When investment in water is treated as the foundation of health, food, energy, and employment, communities will be better equipped to withstand crises and participate in growth.

The challenge is to transform commitments into real services for millions of Africans.