Background of the Conference

Africa is a continent characterized by complex patterns and paradoxes in the availability and distribution of water resources. There is an abundance of water in the Equatorial zone in contrast to a total lack in the Sahara to the north and the Kalahari deserts to the south. This scarcity of water and its highly uneven distribution provides the physical state of the continent which calls for evaluating the feasibility of Inter-Basin Water Transfers (IBWT).

The existence of over 54 transboundary river and lake basins form natural linkages and inter-dependence as most African countries are riparian to one or more river and lake basins with fourteen countries having their entire landmass falling within the boundaries of international river/lake/basins. Over 70 percent of the land area of Africa is within the basins of transboundary rivers/lakes and groundwater aquifers.

Inter-basin water transfer in Africa is an area of water resources management, which could provide a new dimension to correcting the spatial and temporal imbalances of water distribution in the region. The conception of water transfer has a long history as a means of addressing the critical problems of water resources by transferring water from areas where it is relatively abundant to those water-scarce regions. It will provide a driving force to enhance regional economic integration and development so that both donor and recipient countries become beneficiaries.