The IGAD Water Forum in Addis Ababa seeks a regional groundwater governance deal as water scarcity threatens peace and food security in East Africa.
IGAD Water Forum Targets Groundwater Governance to Avert Crisis
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — In the highlands of the Horn of Africa, where the climate grows harsher and the stakes higher, a quiet but critical summit has begun. From May 19–21, over 400 delegates are gathered in Addis Ababa for the 3rd Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Water Forum—a high-impact event focused on one of the region’s most urgent, yet overlooked challenges: groundwater management.
This year’s theme—“Building a Platform for Sustainable Regional Groundwater Cooperation”—signals a pivot from promises to policy. Supported by UNESCO, the World Bank, GIZ, and the African Development Bank, the forum could define how East Africa handles one of its most valuable and vulnerable resources.
In the IGAD bloc—which includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda—up to 70% of drinking water comes from groundwater, while 90% of smallholder farms depend on it for crop production, according to the African Ministers’ Council on Water.
Yet, this vital resource remains underutilized, unmonitored, and politically sensitive.
“Water is to East Africa what oil was to the Middle East in the 20th century,” said Dr. Fekadu Beyene, Ethiopia’s State Minister for Water and Energy.
“But unlike oil, water must be managed cooperatively—or we all lose.”
The 2024 IGAD Groundwater Baseline Report paints a sobering picture:
- 🌍 3,000+ billion cubic meters of groundwater potential
- 🚰 Only 5–10% of that is currently being used
- 💧 60% of rural communities rely on unregulated wells or boreholes
- 🌧️ Rainfall in parts of the Horn could drop by 30% by 2040
- 👥 Water demand is projected to double by 2035
From Kenya’s drought-prone north to urban displacement in Somalia, poor water access is exacerbating food insecurity, migration, and conflict.
“The next wars in Africa could be fought over water,” warned Dr. Laila Ahmed, a hydro-political scholar at the University of Nairobi.
Ambassador Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD’s Executive Secretary, says the goal is clear:
“To institutionalize a regional groundwater governance framework by 2027.”
This would include:
- Regional aquifer-sharing agreements
- Geospatial groundwater mapping
- Water-saving tech showcases from private sector innovators
- Data-sharing protocols for cross-border water basins
Africa holds 60% of the planet’s uncultivated arable land. But to feed its people—and potentially the world—it needs water. And with water stress now one of the biggest drivers of climate-related migration, East Africa’s ability to manage groundwater collaboratively could impact:
- Global refugee flows
- Food prices
- Regional conflict dynamics
“Investing in water governance is investing in peace,” said Anne Groth, Director at GIZ Ethiopia.
“We saw this in the Nile Basin Initiative. It can happen here, too.”
The World Bank has already committed $65 million to the IGAD Groundwater for Resilience Project, with more aid likely if implementation begins soon.
While it may not grab headlines like oil or tech, groundwater is the foundation of East Africa’s future—from economic stability and food security to climate resilience and conflict prevention.
The 3rd IGAD Water Forum is a real-time test of whether African nations can forge practical partnerships over shared natural resources—and a signal to global partners that sustainable development starts beneath the surface.
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