Vast Water Resources Remain Underused in Africa, AU Commissioner Warns
Vast Water Resources Remain Underused in Africa, AU Commissioner Warns
Africa’s vast blue economy — from oceans and islands to lakes and dams — holds “huge potential,” but realizing it depends on building the capacity of nations to fully utilize their resources, said Moses Valakati, the African Union’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment.
“Some countries do not have the capacity to actually fully utilize these waters,” he noted, speaking to Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the 6th Ordinary Session of the STC on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water, and Environment, pointing to illegal fishing and pollution as persistent challenges.
He added that the session serves as a biennial review to assess member states’ progress on issues such as soil health, fertilizer use, food security, and climate resilience, while also electing a new bureau to guide the AU’s agricultural and environmental agenda.
“We are looking at means and ways on how we can become self-sufficient and how we can proceed from here,” he said, highlighting that well-implemented policies like the CAADP strategy can deliver “good results for Africa.”
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