By Shadi Motau
Earlier in the year, the African Union declared 2026 the Year of “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” In doing so, the continent elevated water and sanitation from basic service-delivery concerns to matters of strategic political priority.
This continental focus is aligned with the global development agenda, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which calls for universal access to clean water and sanitation and the sustainable management of water resources.
Water is a catalyst for economic transformation, climate resilience, public health, food security and regional stability. It powers economies, sustains communities and binds nations together. Yet this precious resource is under growing pressure from population growth, climate change, infrastructure backlogs, pollution and uneven access. Protecting it is therefore not only a present-day responsibility, but a generational duty.
The global water challenge is particularly significant for Africa. The continent contributes relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions yet remains highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including droughts, floods, changing rainfall patterns and growing pressure on water resources. These challenges threaten economic development, food security, public health and livelihoods. At the same time, Africa has significant opportunities to build climate resilience, strengthen water infrastructure and pursue sustainable, low-carbon development.
The Africa Water Vision 2063 gives practical expression to this ambition. It seeks to build a resilient Africa where sustainable water resources and safe sanitation are accessible to all. The Vision recognises that water security is fundamental to achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063, including inclusive economic growth, improved livelihoods, social development and a peaceful and prosperous continent.
At the centre of this work is SDG 6, which provides an important international framework for measuring progress on water access, sanitation, water quality, water-use efficiency and sustainable water-resource management. Achieving SDG 6 is essential not only for the water and sanitation sector, but for the broader development agenda.
Reliable water and safe sanitation contribute to improved health, reduced hunger, better educational outcomes, greater gender equality and the inclusion of vulnerable communities. Water is therefore both a development goal and an enabler of almost every other development objective.
For Africa, achieving these ambitions will require more than national interventions. Water does not respect borders. Rivers, groundwater systems and watersheds connect countries and communities, making regional cooperation essential to sustainable water management. Partnerships between African countries can strengthen water security, support economic development and promote peaceful cooperation around shared resources.
South Africa's cooperation with the Kingdom of Lesotho through the Lesotho Highlands Water Project is a practical example of what such cooperation can achieve. The project was designed to generate hydropower benefits for Lesotho while transferring water to South Africa, particularly to the Vaal River System, which supports Gauteng and surrounding economic regions. Comprising dams, tunnels and related infrastructure across Lesotho, the project demonstrates how shared water resources can strengthen regional integration, support economic activity and contribute to improved livelihoods when infrastructure development is accompanied by meaningful consideration of affected communities.
South Africa is also translating the continental and international water agenda into action domestically. The release of the National Water Action Plan provides a framework for addressing the country's water challenges, including infrastructure constraints, water security, institutional capacity and the reliability of water services. This is important because the success of Africa's water ambitions ultimately depends on what happens at national and local level - in municipalities, communities, households, farms and businesses.
As July ended, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the First Ordinary Session of the Seventh Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament, held under the African Union's 2026 theme on sustainable water availability and safe sanitation. The President underscored that access to clean water and safe sanitation is fundamental to human dignity, public health and Africa's long-term development. His message reaffirmed South Africa's support for collective continental action to translate Africa's shared aspirations into cooperation, implementation and measurable progress.
The domestic dimension is particularly important as we commemorate Women's Month. Water insecurity is not gender neutral. Across many communities, women and girls bear a disproportionate responsibility for securing water for households and caring for families when reliable services are unavailable. Inadequate sanitation can also affect women's health, safety, dignity, education and participation in economic activity.
This is why water security must also be understood as a gender equality issue.
International organisations, including UN Women, have highlighted the links between access to water and sanitation and women's rights, health, safety and economic participation. Improving local water systems, expanding access to safe sanitation and ensuring that women participate meaningfully in decisions about water management are therefore important steps towards advancing gender equality.
For South Africa, this means that our response to water challenges must be people-centred and inclusive. Investment in infrastructure must be accompanied by effective maintenance, accountable institutions, sustainable water management and meaningful community participation. Women, particularly those in underserved communities, must not only benefit from improved water services; they must also have a voice in the planning, management and governance of water resources.
From the international commitment to SDG 6, to the African Union's Agenda 2063 and Africa Water Vision 2063, and finally to South Africa's own national water priorities, the message is clear: water security is central to sustainable development.
The task before us is now to turn these commitments into tangible improvements in people's lives. Africa's water future will not be secured by declarations alone. It will be secured through investment, innovation, regional cooperation, accountable governance and partnerships that put communities at the centre.
As South Africa commemorates Women's Month, we must also recognise that securing water is part of securing women's dignity, health, safety and economic participation. Ensuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation is therefore not simply about meeting a development target. It is about building a more resilient, equitable and prosperous Africa - one in which no person is left behind.
*Motau is Deputy Director: Cluster Support at the Government Communication and Information System
