Water Justice Begins with Equity

Lets Start Rethinking Water Governance in Africa

In an era marked by climate crisis, rising inequality and deepening austerity, access to clean, safe, and affordable water is increasingly under threat. Across many African countries, the evidence is quite clear that water scarcity is no longer just an environmental issue. It is a political, economic, and deeply structural crisis.

At the FIDEP Foundation, we believe that achieving water justice means confronting the structural roots of water inequality. We need to move beyond technocratic debates and confront the hard truth: water governance in many African countries continues to be shaped by market-first logic, exclusionary policy-making, and extractive economic models. The poorest, and particularly women, informal workers, and rural communities, are the ones who suffer.

As governments in Africa still search for developmental pathways under conditions of ecological stress and fiscal constraint, a radical rethink of water policy is both urgent and necessary. Below, we outline four (4) key policy recommendations to anchor a people-centered, redistributive approach to water governance; one that aligns with the principles of social justice, accountability, and economic transformation.

1. Legislate Water as a Social and Economic Right

Access to water should never be determined by ability to pay. Yet, in many African countries, privatization has turned water into a commodity. Contracts signed with little public oversight have locked governments into expensive, long-term deals with foreign corporations, often at the expense of service delivery and public affordability.

We must reverse this trend. Governments need to enshrine the right to water in national constitutions and legislation. Legal frameworks must be strengthened to block opaque privatization deals, protect public ownership, and guarantee water as a universal entitlement.

2. Institutionalize Democratic Water Governance

Inclusive water governance is not just good policy, it is a democratic imperative. For too long, decisions about water allocation have been dominated by elite interests and bureaucratic institutions, leaving those most affected by water insecurity with little say.

We call for the institutionalization of community-led water governance models. One example is Kenya’s Water Resources Users Associations (WRUAs), which empower local users to manage and monitor water use within their catchments. These models must be scaled and supported by national policies, with specific provisions to ensure meaningful participation by women, informal workers, people with disabilities, and Indigenous communities.

3. Ensure Transparency and Public Accountability

Often, rural and peri-urban communities only discover water allocation deals/arrangements when water scarcity intensifies or their sources are depleted. African governments must mandate the full public disclosure of all water rights and infrastructure contracts. In support of this, independent community-based monitoring mechanisms must be established and well-resourced to work in collaboration with watchdog organizations and journalists to ensure that water is governed in the public interest, not corporate profit.

4. Challenge Global Norms That Promote Water Financialization

At the global level, the financialization of water, where it is treated as an investment asset, has opened the door to speculation and increased inequality. FIDEP calls for an urgent shift in international development policy. Climate finance and global green infrastructure funds should explicitly prioritize equity-based water access programs, not market-based solutions that deepen exclusion.

Towards a Water-Secure and Just Future

Water justice is not just about pipes and pumps. It is about power. Who decides, who benefits, and who bears the burden? For African nations, the question is not only how to secure water, but how to do so in a way that dismantles historical inequities, protects the commons, and advances the rights of marginalized communities. The road ahead requires bold, redistributive policies, grassroots participation, and a reimagining of development beyond neoliberal frameworks. It also requires a strong alliance of civic actors, communities, and policymakers committed to placing water at the center of economic justice.

See some crystal facts in our recent Information Sheet Here

Securing Africa Water Future_Information Sheet.pdf

Download PDF • 133KB

Let us remember: the fight for water is not just about survival. It’s about dignity, democracy, and the kind of future we choose to build.

You can join this advocacy. Tell us: What does water justice mean to you? How are communities in your region organizing around water? Share your stories and insights with us as we build a continental platform for equitable and sustainable water governance.