Wrapping things up

For my final post I want to reflect on the major themes of my blog and discuss the potential future for water and food in Africa. My first blog highlighted complexity and variability and I hope that theme has been resonated throughout my posts. I have discussed variability for example in river discharge, agricultural water use, forms of privatisation and my assessment of strategies regarding water and food, such as IWRM, has been significantly influenced by how much they address such complexities. Given how often I have felt the need to discuss to discuss this theme, I believe it is important for complexity to be considered for any issue or strategy in Africa, not solely those regarding water and food. 

Another consistent theme in my posts has been that of stereotyping. This of course relates to complexity, as stereotypes disregard complexity, but I have also shown how these stereotypes have managed to adversely influence food and water strategies. For example, in the case of community management I addressed how the justification for that strategy was built upon the assumption that all African communities are completely harmonious. I believe this theme also has importance for strategies not regarding food and water, as such assumptions can factor into a variety of different policies. 

Looking to the future there are likely to be significant changes for water and food in Africa. Africa is projected to experience warming of 3-4 degrees Celsius by end of 21st century, but it is no surprise that the theme of variability crops up yet again, as the direction and size of the impact of this change will depend on the location (Carter and parker 2009). For instance, in East Africa, annual rainfall is projected to rise 7% near the end of the 21st century, compared to a 6% decrease in the Sahara (Carter and parker 2009). As such, the need to recognise variability is only set to increase. The impacts of demographic change are more certain and even more significant. By 2050 urban populations are projected to increase by a factor of four, therefore there will only be further strain on water and food resources (Carter and parker 2009). Therefore, it will become ever more important for resources to be used as efficiently as possible and this will require strategies that address the specific issues in communities, rather than seeking a one-size fits all solution for the entire continent.