How I plan to write about Africa, water and, food

The imagery of Africa and food is one we are all too familiar with. It seems disease, famine, and poverty have been packaged and sold by the media as a representation of the continent. This is a portrayal I attempt to change in my work. However, it is important for me to mention that trying to change the portrayal of Africa does not equate to denying its realities. 

In this first blogpost, I thought I would reflect on Binyavanga Wainaina's article "How to write about Africa"(Wainanina 2019). Although the satirical tone of the article was amusing, it also prompted a feeling of frustration I have become accustomed to. This feeling of frustration, I believe is shared among Africans of the diaspora - and the interpretation of Africa is often a topic of discussion. 

I have lived in Guinea, a small country on the west coast of Africa for the majority of my life. While I have always had access to water, and food, I have also witnessed how others have not - sharing our water supply with our neighbours is common. Additionally, issues surrounding sanitation, and the disinfection of the water are frequent. In my country, not everyone has access to safe water, despite the fact that Guinea is commonly referred to as the 'Water tower of West Africa', this contradiction is thus something I cannot ignore. More than that, I also cannot ignore my position of privilege in society and the inequalities that exist in terms of access to safe water.

The Fouta Djallon, Guinea

During the next few weeks, through my posts, I hope to shine light on the complexities of the African continent particularly when it pertains to food security and access to water. Indeed, Africa and its 54 countries are diverse. The continent is the most variable in terms of freshwater resources (McMahon et al. 2007), therefore the understanding of water access and food security is not so straightforward.

As 2030 approaches, achieving the sustainable development goals (SDG) becomes a more pressing issue. SDG 2 and SDG 6 are of importance as they explicitly mention the intention to "end hunger and improve food security" as well as "ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all" respectively. Consequently, Africa's development is a critical point of focus because this is where the most progress should be made. The continent has the lowest proportions of national populations with access to safe water and is the only region of the world where per capita rates of food have declined since the 1960s (FAO).

Research on water use in Africa has indicated that the agricultural sector accounts for 83.1% of freshwater withdrawal (Wada et al. 2011), these withdrawals, however, are considerably lower than in other regions of the planet. Irrigation is not employed throughout the continent at a large scale which reflects a primarily rain-fed agriculture. This presents concerns considering climate variability is extreme, as previously mentioned. It is therefore imperative to find and review possible solutions as climate change is due to exacerbate this matter. This is something I hope to elaborate on further in my future blogposts.

Before I end this blogpost, I think it is important to note that the link between water scarcity and food security is not as evident as it seems. External factors can also contribute to food insecurity.

Zimbabwe, for example, is currently facing its worst hunger crisis of the decade, driven in part by severe drought, cyclone Idai, below-average rainfall but also by economic shocks (Global Report 2020). According to a global report by actors such as the European Union, FAO, UNICEF,  and USAID more than half the population are acutely food insecure, and while this can be explained by the weather extremes, the increasing inflation and the depreciation of the Zimbabwe dollar also play a big role (Global Report 2020).

This explains the emergence of physical and economic water scarcity as indicators that can distinguish physical and economical factors (Damkjaer and Taylor 2017). This distinction is important as it exposes a clearer view on access to water in Africa and the effects it can have on food security - the ability to provide water to populations if often more determined by economics than freshwater availability.