Imagine a continent where clean water is abundant, and sanitation is readily available for everyone. Sounds like a dream, right? But for many parts of Africa, this is still a distant reality. That's why the African Water Facility's (AWF) new five-year strategy is so crucial – it's a bold plan to tackle Africa's water security crisis head-on and mobilize the resources needed to make a real difference. But here's where it gets controversial... can a strategy on paper truly translate into tangible change on the ground, especially given the complex challenges of funding and implementation?
The Governing Council of the AWF recently adopted this ambitious strategy at their 25th meeting, held in Cairo, Egypt. Think of the Governing Council as the AWF's board of directors, guiding its overall direction. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Hani Sewilam, Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, highlighting the importance Egypt places on this issue. The AWF itself is hosted by the African Development Bank Group and operates under the guidance of the African Ministers’ Council on Water, ensuring it aligns with continent-wide priorities.
So, what's in this new strategy? The African Water Facility 2026–2030 Strategy is essentially a roadmap. It outlines the AWF's strategic priorities for the next five years, all aimed at strengthening water security and achieving universal access to safe sanitation throughout Africa. It's not just about building wells; it's about reinforcing the AWF's role as a catalyst for water and sanitation investments. This means focusing on preparing projects that are attractive to investors, actively fundraising, and driving innovation in the water and sanitation sector. And this is the part most people miss... it's not just about throwing money at the problem, it's about creating sustainable, long-term solutions that empower local communities.
Minister Sewilam emphasized the importance of the AWF, calling it “indispensable.” He reminded everyone that in May 2024, the Governing Council extended the AWF’s mandate to 2050 and expanded its scope to include a new urban sanitation financing window. This window features reimbursable grants, concessional instruments (loans with better-than-market terms), and guarantees, all designed to encourage investment in urban sanitation projects. Urban sanitation is a huge issue, with rapidly growing cities struggling to provide adequate sanitation services to their populations.
He further stated that these changes reflect a collective understanding that “bold and adaptive approaches are needed to address Africa’s growing water security challenges in a rapidly changing global context.” This means recognizing that traditional methods may not be enough, and that innovative solutions are needed to overcome the challenges of climate change, population growth, and urbanization.
The new strategy prioritizes developing strong, investment-ready projects. Think of it like this: the AWF wants to create projects that are so well-designed and have such a clear potential for success that investors are eager to fund them. It also focuses on expanding innovative funding mechanisms to increase the resources available for the sector. This could include things like public-private partnerships, blended finance (using a mix of public and private funds), and impact investing (investing in projects that generate both financial returns and positive social and environmental impact). The strategy also emphasizes institutional strengthening to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
During the Cairo meeting, the Governing Council also approved the AWF’s 2026 Work Programme and Budget, reviewed progress on the 2025 portfolio, assessed the implementation of previous recommendations, and examined future financing opportunities. It was a busy and productive meeting!
Professor Sewilam highlighted the AWF’s crucial role in advancing both the African Union’s Africa Water Vision 2063 (a long-term vision for water security in Africa) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (global goals for sustainable development, including SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation). He urged development partners to increase their contributions to the AWF, enabling it to reach more communities, prepare more projects, and stimulate greater investment in Africa’s water future. This raises a key question: Are wealthy nations doing enough to support water security in Africa, or is there a moral obligation to increase aid?
Representatives from AWF member countries and technical and financial partners, including the governments of Austria and Denmark, the Nordic Development Fund, and several regional institutions, praised the AWF’s achievements over the past year. They noted improvements in operational efficiency, documentation quality, and steady progress in implementing the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative. This initiative aims to help African governments, utilities, and private-sector actors expand safe and sustainable urban sanitation services.
Mtchera Chirwa, Director of the Water Development and Sanitation Department at the African Development Bank, expressed gratitude to the Governing Council and partners for their strong support.
He emphasized that their “unwavering commitment, steadfast support, and enduring partnership have been instrumental in sustaining the African Water Facility and driving forward Africa’s vision for water security and sustainable development.” Chirwa added that, guided by the 2026–2030 Strategy, the AWF will reposition itself as a high-performing, innovation-driven institution, strengthening partnerships, expanding private sector engagement, and diversifying financing sources.
Established in 2004, the AWF supports African countries, river basin organizations, and regional economic communities in preparing water and sanitation investment projects. Since its inception, it has financed nearly 150 projects in 52 countries, mobilizing approximately €4 billion (around $4.6 billion) in downstream investments. That's a significant impact, but there's still much more work to be done.
The adoption of this new strategy is a positive step, but its success will depend on effective implementation, strong partnerships, and sustained funding. What do you think? Is this strategy ambitious enough to address Africa's water security challenges? Will it truly make a difference in the lives of ordinary people? And importantly, are enough resources being directed towards water and sanitation in Africa compared to other global challenges? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
