Liquid Gold or a Liquid Lifeline?: The Role of Water in Shaping Africa’s Food Landscape

Agroforestry is an integrated land use management system that combines trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock (Nair et al, 2022). The synergy between these elements fosters ecological resilience, promotes biodiversity, and addresses pressing issues of water scarcity and food production. Some of the basic principles are as follows: Water Conservation: Agroforestry systems, by nature, enhance water conservation. The presence of trees helps reduce water runoff, allowing more water to infiltrate the soil, thus improving groundwater recharge and maintaining water availability during dry periods (Nair, 1993) . Root System Impact : Trees in agroforestry systems play a crucial role in anchoring soil. Their extensive root systems help prevent soil erosion and contribute to improved water retention, reducing the risks of water runoff and nutrient loss (Wafula et al., 2016). Shade and Microclimate Regulation : The canopy provided by trees in agroforestry systems offers shade, reducing e...

A few days ago, I read about how a Kenyan court dismissed a lawsuit against the importation of GMOs into Kenya last October . I explain the potential of GM crops in alleviating food and water insecurity. In Kenya, agriculture contributes to 33% of its GDP and employs over 40% of the total population, with over 70% of those employed from rural backgrounds . However, over the past few years, it has been grappling with an unprecedented water shortage exacerbated by four consecutive failed rainy seasons . This prolonged and severe drought, considered one of the most challenging in the East African region in four decades, poses a significant threat to agriculture, food security, and the livelihoods of millions. In the face of this crisis, exploring innovative solutions, including the potential adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops, becomes crucial. Genetically Modified (GM) crops refer to plants whose genetic material has been altered through genetic engineering techniques. This invol...

In this post, I will delve into contrasting experiences in Nigeria fare in terms of food and water Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation with a population of over 218 million (World Bank, 2021). The a gricultural sector is estimated to contribute to 34.4% of Nigeria’s GDP from 1970-2010 (Olajide et al., 2012),  making it the second largest contributor after oil. However, despite Nigeria’s position as the largest economy in Africa , there are significant disparities in terms of water and food accessibility. Droughts in Northern Nigeria  In the northern regions of Nigeria, particularly states in the Sahel Zone, such as Sokoto, Kebbi and Jigawa, conditions are often described as being arid and semi-arid. Prolonged dry seasons due to high temperatures and inconsistent precipitation patterns, contribute to water scarcity (Olagunju, 2015) , which affects both surface water availability and groundwater recharge.  Traditional farming practices are increasingly unsustainable...

In this post, I will review various indexes used to study water and food How do we measure, identify and strategise against the issue of water and food? There are various indexes that researchers have proposed and utilised to measure the extent of water in Africa. There are quantitative indexes such has the Water Stress Index (Fallenmark and Lindh, 1974) which provides a quantitative index of water scarcity as  the amount of renewable freshwater that is available per person per year and proposes a threshold of 1,700 m 3 per person per year to identify the regions that suffer from water stress (Fallenmark et al., 1989). The issue with WSI is that it oversimplies water scarcity, which is a relatively complex term. The metric has been criticised for being context-specific to the semi-arid industrialised country of Israel (Damkjaer and Taylor, 2017) . It fails to take into account the unique socioeconomic challenges faced by African nations, such as variations in water management pra...

Welcome readers! I am Shanjana, a 3rd-year UCL BSc Geography student studying GEOG0036: Water and Development in Africa.  My personal interest in studying water and food was fuelled by ‘ Hunger of the Plenty by O Yemi Tubi , which serves as a compelling gateway to a multifaceted exploration of water and food in Africa. In this post, I will briefly explain my personal interpretation of O Yemi Tubi’s work (Figure 1), and what it suggests about water and food security. Fig.1: ‘Hunger of the Plenty’ by O Yemi Tubi (2015). I annotated the painting with my initial thoughts. My personal interpretation: The first thing that caught my eye was the mother nourishing her child through breastfeeding, but ironically has nothing to eat for herself as shown by the two empty bowls (Fig 1.1). For me, this hints at the fact that food is prevalent in various forms, but that there is unequal distribution, particularly  in terms of the rural-urban divide. The painting poignantly depicts the dr...