Climate change
predictions. Hydro-politics. Shifting farming methods. Increased investment and
technology. Virtual water. All of these have been explored throughout the past
months in relation to water and food security issues. By exploring these topics in different
posts, I hope to have imparted my best possible understanding of Africa’s
problems surrounding water scarcity and food insecurity.
Climate change. This now undisputed
phenomenon is undoubtedly affecting African water and hence food productivity,
however, some scientific findings aren’t as definite as they may seem. This
makes planning for climate change even more difficult. Some models suggest that
East Africa should get wetter under climate change but it is currently getting
drier. As I have eluded to before, Africa’s adaptation in dealing with the
consequences of climate change and today’s ever-changing physical landscape
will be crucial as well as support from other developed world nations. We have
seen farming methods and knowledge transfer from Asian success stories and
believe Africa could continue to progress in this respect. However, I am not
suggesting Africa merely has to mimic Asian techniques. Africa has it’s own
unique problems such as the Nile river basin conflict.
My first post posed the question whether
Africa can actually feed the world or will it continue to struggle to feed its
own population. By investigating this topic, I can conclude that current food
and water insecurities are not unsolvable. I believe that a combination of good
governance (on a more local scale), adaptation, unification and enhancements in
farming methods and technology will slowly mean less and less of Africa’s
population will be without food and water.
Thankyou for your continued support and reading of my blog. I hope you were educated and thoroughly enjoyed it !