Significance of Accessible Water for NGOs, Communities, and the Private Sector and international aid


We've mentioned why water security matters for society. This blog will further discuss on who cares about the water security issues and international aid from those sectors which aims to improve water and food securities. 


NGOs & Policy Makers

Recalling the SGD goals mentioned in our introduction, many NGOs have been committed to helping government in Africa achieve the SGD goals, so that Africa can have a sustainable environment and community.

Here is water for people, an NGO talking about their goals for water access. They primary goal is to create a world where every person has access to reliable and safe water and sanitation services. (WFP, 2023)



Community Groups

For community groups, water is more likely a political issue. In Kumbo, People  campaigned to remove the government water managers and replace them with a community managed system because access to safe water supply through government is never free(Page,2003). Water is essential goods but costly, and therefore they prefer to construct a community managed system to access safe water with a lower cost.


Private Sector

For private sector, water is essential during the production process. Coca-Cola, a famous private sector company, is actively addressing water sustainability through partnerships with NGOs and initiatives like the Replenish Africa Initiative (Walsh & Dowding, 2012). RAIN, a $30 million commitment, aims to provide two million Africans with access to safe drinking water and sanitation by 2015. Such cooperation with NGOs and initiatives also meet the company's commitment to water replenishment, conservation, and social responsibility, helping it to attract more labour who also have same goals.

the improvement of using water when making 1 liter of product in Coca-Cola manufacturing process between 2004 and 2017(The Coca-cola company, 2023)


Balancing Global Aid: Navigating Challenges and Shaping Solutions

In the context of sub-Saharan Africa, a study examines the impact of food aid and governance quality on nutrition security. The findings underscore that targeted food aid will enhance nutrition security,  increasing food production and dietary energy supply adequacy(Cassimon et al., 2023). The research advocates emphasize that  good governance practices, effective food aid targeting, and investments are crucial to address the multifaceted challenges of food and nutrition security in sub-Saharan Africa.

However, international aid always involves concerns about over-dependence. A typical example is the COVID-19 pandemic, which casts a shadow on financial aid for food in Africa. Economic downturns have strained the capacity of donor countries and organizations to provide aid, prompting potential reductions in international aid budgets, worsening water and food insecurity.



Comments

  1. Jay Singh7 January 2024 at 13:29

    What are the potential risks of over-dependence on international aid for water projects, and how can these be mitigated?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stevenwu7 January 2024 at 22:24

      I think it worsen the food insecurity and water insecurity when there international aid projects fails to continue. Also, donors might have different agendas or priorities than the local communities. This misalignment can result in projects that do not address the most pressing needs or are not culturally appropriate. I think the most easier way to mitigate this problem is to develop long-term, comprehensive water management plans that consider local needs, environmental sustainability, and resilience to changing circumstances. Then they don't have to concern about that projects fails to continue in a short period. Also, Encourage and facilitate the diversification of funding sources for water projects. This includes seeking partnerships with local governments, private sector entities, and philanthropic organizations to reduce dependence on a single funding stream can also help.

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