Africa Water Vision and Policy 2026: UN Water Conference 2026 and The Zambezi River Basin Countries

By: Olivia Babcock 

Edited By: Lara N. Tomescu

Introduction

Africa has the world’s youngest population and faces some of the most severe effects of climate change but receives a disproportionately small share of global climate research funding. Between 1990 and 2019, Africa received only 3.8% of global climate research resources.1 Despite this limited support, African states have advanced regional collaboration to address water scarcity and environmental threats.

In May of 2025, leaders from across Africa gathered in Lusaka, Zambia at PANAFCON-3 to adopt Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy (AWVP63).2 The African Union (AU) is prepared to enter the UN 2026 Water Conference with a unified set of priorities focused on water governance, climate resilience, and sustainable development.3 This conference offers an opportunity for global actors that have dominated research and policy spaces to focus on Africa’s policy recommendations. Given that Africa is warming at nearly one and a half times the global average, elevating Africa’s water agenda is essential for global climate resilience strategies.1 

The host of the most recent PANAFCON, Zambia, relies on the Zambezi River and Kariba Dam for energy and water management and will be used as a case study to demonstrate the importance of the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy.

Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy: Key Recommendations 

AWVP63 has eight draft Vision Statements:4

  1. Universal access to safely managed water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
  2. Sustainable water availability to support transformed economies amidst climate uncertainty.
  3. Resilient people and ecosystems protected from water-related disasters.
  4. Transparent water governance rooted in subsidiarity and accountability.
  5. Water basins as assets for peace, regional integration, and shared prosperity.
  6. Skilled human capital and technology to drive resource management.
  7. Investment in integrated water information systems to support evidence-based decision-making.
  8. A thriving blue economy that harnesses Africa’s marine wealth for sustainable development. 

While the agenda and policy is comprehensive and unified, Vision Statements two (sustainable water availability to support transformed economies amidst climate uncertainty), five (water basins as assets for peace, regional integration, and shared prosperity), and seven (investment in integrated water information systems to support evidence-based decision-making) should be prioritized by the AU and stakeholders at the UN Water Conference 2026. 

Vision Statement 1: Sustainable water availability to support transformed economies amidst climate uncertainty

Protecting water resources is key to mitigating rising global temperatures and protecting the future of African energy independence. Water availability is one of the most pressing issues facing many African countries, especially for vulnerable populations.5  With minimized water availability, African economies, food security, and energy production across the continent are in jeopardy. 

Zambia, which uses the Zambezi river and Kariba dam to generate energy and manage water resources across the country, is struggling with water availability. In 1962, Zambia had 32,336 cubic meters of water per capita per year. By 2017, this water availability had dropped to 6,131 cubic meters of water per capita per year.6  Zambia experiences extended periods of loadshedding, or planned electricity outages, especially in the dry season.7 The need for loadshedding across Zambia and sub-Saharan Africa has increased in recent years,8 requiring collaborative energy and water management. 

Vision Statement 5: Water basins as assets for peace, regional integration, and shared prosperity 

Water basins are often shared resources across African countries. The Great Lakes Region has massive water resources that are used across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, and Zambia. The Chobe river separates Botswana and Namibia, and the Zambezi separates Zimbabwe and Zambia, contributing significantly to both countries’ energy production. Energy production in Africa is deeply tied to the continent’s colonial history. Colonial-era infrastructure investments concentrated electricity access in select regions, contributing to current disparities in energy access.9 Water basins are an integral source of energy production, and effective collaboration between states with shared basins is critical to the peace and stability of the continent. 

Cooperation over water rights in the Zambezi basin has been an important feature of policy and discussion in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the international stage. In the 1990s, the Zambezi Action Plan (ZACPLAN) was founded and supported by the international community and the Global North.9 The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) was established in the late 1980’s and serves to unite Zambia and Zimbabwe over water management. Increased cooperation is critical to protecting Africa’s water resources and the stability of the continent. It is crucial that international organizations prioritize African policy recommendations and distribute funding more equally for research and conservation projects across sub-Saharan Africa. 

Vision Statement 7: Investment in integrated water information systems to support evidence-based decision-making

The UN 2026 Water Conference, co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates,  “aims to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), enhance global water governance, and further elevate water-related issues on the international agenda.”10  Countries face a critical moment for investing in water-related systems and promoting cooperative water governance. Africa has recognized the importance of water-related issues and the adoption of Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy is a key policy piece that needs international support. 

Projects like ZACPLAN, ZRA, The Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) have proven that the SADC is willing and committed to working together, but there are barriers to this cooperation. In their report about the Zambezi River Basin, Jensen and Lange emphasize that “most Zambezi countries are not in a position to finance development strategies through government budgets.”9 Many Zambezi River Basin states face budget constraints that limit their ability to finance long-term water management projects. The UN Water Conference 2026 is where the rest of the world can recognize that the health of Africa is vital to the health of the planet and provide funding for African governments and agencies to fund the necessary systems needed for water maintenance and improve capacity to manage important basins.

Conclusion

Climate change is a universal existential threat, but the timeline to mitigate its effects is accelerated in Africa given the continent’s susceptibility to heat. Funding for climate research has traditionally favored the Global North and little international attention has been given to African projects. Through decades of cooperation, Africa has demonstrated their commitment to water and energy security. Africa’s record of regional water cooperation positions the continent to influence global water governance. To combat rising energy threats, it is crucial for Africa to take center stage at upcoming environmental summits. International cooperation that supports AWVP63 would improve regional economic stability, energy reliability, and climate resilience. 

Works Cited 

  1. Roychowdhury, Anumita, and Sharanjeet Kaur. 2025 “Rising Heat in African Continent.” In Africa: Too Hot to Cool? Agenda for Action. New Delhi: Centre for Science and Environment. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep72376.5. 
  2. African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW). 2025. “Africa Adopts the Water Vision 2063 and Policy: A Continental Compass for Prosperity, Peace, and Resilience.” Press release, October 9. https://amcow-online.org/africa-adopts-the-water-vision-2063-and-policy-a-continentalcompass-for-prosperity-peace-and-resilience/.  
  3. UN-Water. 2025. “3rd Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water.” August 28. https://www.unwater.org/news/3rd-pan-african-implementation-and-partnership-conference-water.  
  4. Osuorji, Genevieve. 2025. “PANAFCON-3 Updates.” African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), May 27. https://amcow-online.org/panafcon-3-updates/. 
  5. Falkenmark, Malin. 1990. “Rapid Population Growth and Water Scarcity: The Predicament of Tomorrow’s Africa.” Population and Development Review 16 (1990): 81–94. https://doi.org/10.2307/2808065. 
  6. Worldometer. 2025. “Zambia Water Use, Resources and Precipitation.” https://www.worldometers.info/water/zambia-water/#water-resources.
  7. The Business Consultant in Zambia. 2025. “How Load Shedding in Zambia Is Crippling  Small Businesses:  2025 Outlook.” M&J Zambia. May 10. https://mjconsultants.co.zm/how-load-shedding-in-zambia-is-crippling-small-businesses-2025-outlook/. 
  8. Cape Business News. 2025. “Escalating Load Shedding Across Africa Highlights the Imperative for Energy Initiatives like the Africa Energy Indaba.” Cape Business News, February 25. https://cbn.co.za/industry-news/expos-events-news/escalating-load-shedding-across-africa-highlights-the-imperative-for-energy-initiatives-like-the-africa-energy-indaba/.    
  9. Jensen, Kurt Mørck, and Rane Baadsgaard Lange. 2013. “The Zambezi.” In Transboundary Water Governance in a Shifting Development Context: New Development Finance, Development Spaces and Commitment to Cooperation: A Comparative Study of the Mekong and the Zambezi River Basins. Danish Institute for International Studies. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep13303.10.
  10. UN Water. 2025. “2026 UN Water Conference.” May 29. https://www.unwater.org/news/2026-un-water-conference. 

Author Bio

Olivia Babcock is a first year Master’s in Public Administration student, Reynold’s Leadership Fellow, and Global Democracy Fellow at Cornell. She holds a B.A. in history from the University of Puget Sound where she focused on South Africa’s transition to democracy and restorative peace efforts. Since then, she has served as a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Zambia, a leader for the Iraqi Young Leader’s Exchange Program, and Program Coordinator at World Learning.

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