REFLECTIONS

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This blogging journey has come to an end, but I hope over the last 10-weeks these blog posts have been able to illustrate the complex yet intriguing relationship between water and food in Africa. These blogs have highlighted some interesting factors characterising the relationship between water and food in Africa. Firstly, the problems of water scarcity in Africa are crucial questions of distribution and access rather than quantity. Common belief that Africa does not have water is a myth.  Secondly, the prevalent of rain-fed agriculture in Africa significantly threatens food production due to climate change. Finally, Africa has untapped reserves of groundwater as well as immense potential for surface water, but exploitation of both resources is constrained by numerous factors. This includes lack of technical capacity, inadequate finance and infrastructure and conflicts between users. There is not one single answer to Africa’s water challenges, rather strategies need to take into account a wide range of solutions for holistic management. 

Before I sign off, I wanted to reflect that my posts may not accurately represent the absolute realities on the ground. My knowledge is purely based on what I’ve read, watched and listened to on the Internet; although, I have tried to be as critical as possible by querying my data and sources and reflecting where possible. Nonetheless, I believe my blog posts which are enriched with knowledge from academic articles, local newspapers to reports and videos will be useful in providing valuable insights into the challenges of water  and food in Africa.  I hope you guys enjoyed reading these as much as I enjoyed writing them :)