Understanding responses to climate-related water scarcity in Africa

Walter Leal Filho; Edmond Totin; James A Franke; Samora Macrice Andrew; Ismaila Rimi Abubakar; Hossein Azadi; Patrick D Nunn; Birgitt Ouweneel; Portia Adade Williams; Nicholas Philip Simpson; The Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative Team

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150420

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Understanding responses to climate-related water scarcity in Africa

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Understanding responses to climate-related water scarcity in Africa

Walter Leal Filho, Edmond Totin, James A Franke, Samora Macrice Andrew, Ismaila Rimi Abubakar, Hossein Azadi, Patrick D Nunn, Birgitt Ouweneel, Portia Adade Williams, Nicholas Philip Simpson, …

Science of the Total Environment, Vol.806(1), pp.1-18

2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150420

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Abstract

Africa

Autonomous adaptation

Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative

Local and indigenous knowledge

Planned adaptation

Water scarcity

Water scarcity is a global challenge, yet existing responses are failing to cope with current shocks and stressors, including those attributable to climate change. In sub-Saharan Africa, the impacts of water scarcity threaten livelihoods and wellbeing across the continent and are driving a broad range of adaptive responses. This paper describes trends of water scarcity for Africa and outlines climate impacts on key water-related sectors on food systems, cities, livelihoods and wellbeing, conflict and security, economies, and ecosystems. It then uses systematic review methods, including the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative, to analyse 240 articles and identify adaptation characteristics of planned and autonomous responses to water scarcity across Africa. The most common impact drivers responded to are drought and participation variability. The most frequently identified actors responding to water scarcity include individuals or households (32%), local government (15%) and national government (15%), while the most common types of response are behavioural and cultural (30%), technological and infrastructural (27%), ecosystem-based (25%) and institutional (18%). Most planned responses target low-income communities (31%), women (20%), and indigenous communities (13%), but very few studies target migrants, ethnic minorities or those living with disabilities. There is a lack of coordination of planned adaptation at scale across all relevant sectors and regions, and lack of legal and institutional frameworks for their operation. Most responses to water scarcity are coping and autonomous responses that showed only minor adjustments to business-as-usual water practices, suggesting limited adaptation depth. Maladaptation is associated with one or more dimension of responses in almost 20% of articles. Coordinating institutional responses, carefully planned technologies, planning for projected climate risks including extension of climate services and increased climate change literacy, and integrating indigenous knowledge will help to address identified challenges of water scarcity towards more adaptive responses across Africa. [Display omitted] •Climate-induced water scarcity is a widespread trend across Africa.•Systematic review of responses to water scarcity shows many deficiencies.•Planned adaptation lacks coordination at scale across key sectors and regions.•Most responses include only minor adjustments to business-as-usual water practices.•Improving institutional responses is key to adaptation to water scarcity.

Details

Title: Understanding responses to climate-related water scarcity in Africa
Authors: Walter Leal Filho (Author) - HAW Hamburg
Edmond Totin (Author) - Université Nationale d'Agriculture
James A Franke (Author) - University of Chicago
Samora Macrice Andrew (Author) - Sokoine University of Agriculture
Ismaila Rimi Abubakar (Author) - Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
Hossein Azadi (Author) - Ghent University
Patrick D Nunn (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Birgitt Ouweneel (Author) - University of Cape Town
Portia Adade Williams (Author) - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Nicholas Philip Simpson (Author) - University of Cape Town
The Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative Team (Author)
Publication details: Science of the Total Environment, Vol.806(1), pp.1-18
Publisher: Elsevier BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150420
ISSN: 1879-1026
Organisation Unit: Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Centre; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99570207502621
Output Type: Journal article