Final Thoughts and Lessons Learnt!🙌

Introduction:

Firstly I want to say a huge thank you to those who have been engaging/commenting and thus helped my ideas develop throughout the term! As this blog series on water and food in Africa draws to a close, this post will reflect on the journey we've woven together through the tapestry that is water and food. Having started with the exploration of the complex interactions between water and food security to Windhoek and discussion on large/small irrigation systems, this blog series for me has been a fascinating period of learning and has developed my personal perspectives on Africa too. It has also inspired me to change one of my modules next term to "Postcolonial Geographies of African Development", I feel that I will be confidently able to write about Africa holistically now.

What I Have Learnt: Viewpoints

Seeing the richness and complexity of African water and food systems has been one of the biggest changes in my viewpoints. For example, the case study of Windhoek's MAR system showed the socio-political implications of water management such as conflict in addition to its technical and economic features. Comparing large and small-scale irrigation systems also revealed the complex discussions over how they affect local populations and food security. Perhaps I had thought about Geographical systems like irrigation prior to this project too 'flatly' as being one dimensional, forgetting there are many intricate layers that need to be picked apart. The lengthy video below takes this into further detail if you're interested (Figure 1):

                                     Figure 1: Africa Irrigation Project (Zambia)

What I Have Learnt: Personal Thought Development

My comprehension of the complex interrelationship between food and water in Africa has greatly expanded, perhaps having not studied Africa before in detail the stereotypical image of struggle and lack of water is what previously stuck with me. If anyone is still unsure about these stereotypes click through to the article cited just before and you will find a student turned 'stereotype influencer' who has amassed over 3 million followers debunking myths! Charityekezie (her username) takes a humorous but academic approach (Figure 2) utilising her social media presence to educate. Having received over 70 million positive impressions it would be fair to say she has been successful.

                        Figure 2: "Debunking African stereotypes with sarcasm."

My first perspectives were definitely moulded by certain preconceived conceptions of how Africa has been portrayed across several mediums such as TV/Film and writing. But reading and interacting with a variety of sources from academic studies to local viewpoints has expanded my knowledge and made me rethink some of these presumptions. This is a very useful transferable skill that is applicable across both disciplines.

The Irrigation Station☔️

Lets now shift our focus from MAR to another water based innovation. Initially irrigation stuck out as it's a vital part of worldwide agriculture, contributing to 40% of food produced worldwide, however in Africa this number is less than 6%, I wanted to explore more into why this number is so low.

In particular there is wide debate about selecting between large and small-scale irrigation systems. It's not just a technical issue in Africa, where water shortages and climatic fluctuation are common, but also a political and economic one. The dynamics of these systems, their effect on food security, and the consequences for nearby populations will be explored in this post!

Starting Small:

Small-scale irrigation systems, such treadle pumps, drip irrigation and small reservoirs, are usually run by local communities or individual farms. These systems can better adjust to the demands and conditions of the local area. For example, drip irrigation (Figure 1) is inexpensive to set up and operate, smallholder farmers such as in South Africa are able access them (Figure 2). For more detail on how they function watch the YouTube video below! (Figure 3)

                                 Figure 1: Close up of Drip Irrigation System

                           Figure 2: Practical Use of Small Scale Drip Irrigation

                                             Figure 3: Drip Irrigation Video

Small-scale systems do, however, also encounter difficulties. They frequently don't obtain the funding and support that large-scale initiatives do. Another concern is scalability; even though they work well locally, they might not have a big influence on food security nationally. Furthermore, farmers may be disproportionately affected by climatic variability in small-scale systems.

Going Bigger:

The goal of large-scale irrigation projects is to supply water to huge agricultural fields. These projects are frequently sponsored by governments or funded by foreign sources. These techniques, like massive canal networks or dam-based irrigation (Figure 4), have the potential to greatly increase food output. In addition to extending growing seasons and sustaining a range of crops, they can stabilise yields and promote economic growth and food security.

               Figure 4: "EGYPT: Lining irrigation canals to save 5 billion m³ of water"

Large-scale systems do present certain difficulties, though. They need a significant infrastructural and financial investment (e.g. Figure 4 costing $3.8 million). Additionally, there's the chance of environmental deterioration, which might include local ecosystem disturbance, salinization of soils, and water logging. These projects may become politically divisive, particularly if they uproot communities or modify customary water rights.

Impacts:

The decision between large- and small-scale irrigation systems has a significant impact on local populations' and food security. Even though they may have a greater output impact, large-scale projects need to be properly managed to prevent socio-environmental hazards. Small-scale systems that encourage local adaptation and autonomy must be supported and acknowledged for their contribution to the improving rural livelihoods.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, size, economics, and community demands interact complexly in African irrigation politics. In the context of agriculture, both large- and small-scale systems have a role, but the success of both requires meticulous planning, fair resource allocation, and environmental sustainability. Developing efficient and sustainable food production techniques requires a grasp of these processes, which will become increasingly apparent as we investigate agricultural practices in Africa.

The Hunger Games III: Round 2 Team Limitations (and Conclusion)💨

Ding ding ding...in Round 2 we have Team Limitations; will they live up to the hype or get crushed!

Introduction:

Hopefully from the previous post you have an understanding of the successes of Windhoek. To start off this post I wanted to highlight something very important to reaching a fair conclusion for this topic, having done a plethora of reading surrounding this topic it has become very clear that there are wide ranging opinions about the success of MAR in Windhoek. It has become apparent there seems to be quite a distinct disconnect between the narrative of articles from Western media and those that have been written by authors/academics local to Namibia.

For reference, Western articles such as from the Guardian paint the picture of "crops are failing and livestock is dying" and "Namibia's worst for 30 years". To make a comparison, a lot of
local articles are relatively outdated so I took it upon myself to actually email Dr Ricky Murray (the author of a lot of the MAR literature) myself, he did actually reply so I thought I would include this exchange (Figure 1) to highlight the reality of this disparity:

  

Figure 1: Dr Ricky Murray's reply to my email asking about Windhoek.

Challenges and Limitations:

1. Financial Barriers

The largest burden ensuring Windhoek's water security is the financial backing required for it to be successful. Supposedly an "urgent investment of $1.58bn is needed from the state to secure Windhoek’s water supply", this is over 10% of the entire of Namibia's GDP, which under an economic lens is extremely unrealistic to happen. This number appears to be massively inflated however, Murray's journal claims "The City of Windhoek has already spent over US$8.4 million on the scheme, and is looking to fund an additional US$ 9.6 million of the required US$52.4 million – the balance they will have to source externally." This doesn't take away from the picture that there is still a significant financial barrier for Windhoek to overcome to continue the MAR success.

2. Maintaining Water Quality

It is all good having a successful MAR system that provides enough water but if the water isn't of good enough quality and the population don't want to drink/use it for food due to e.g. E-coli contamination it you could argue the scheme wasn't a success. There is evidence to suggest that water quality has improved however "water quality in Namibia is still lacking in rural areas", also highlighted in Figure 2.

                                     Figure 2: Windhoek's Water Crisis Video

Conclusion:

Linking back to the big picture of food; the MAR programme is clearly a ground-breaking project that has established a good standard for sustainable water management and hence has improved food security as a result. However, given the technological and socioeconomic difficulties involved, its replication in other arid environments needs to be done carefully. 

MAR's encouraging performance acts as a reminder that large projects like this need for careful, continuous review and adjustment. It is evident that the MAR plan is a complex interaction of creativity, environmental care, and community engagement rather than just a technical fix.

The Hunger Games II: Round 1 Team Success💦

Ding ding ding... in the first corner we have Team Success; will they win the hunger games or will they be left in the dust like the other tributes?

Welcome Back:

Hopefully you all have a good understanding of Namibia's MAR scheme from previous posts. I have decided to make this post as a follow up to evaluate! Whilst I am planning to look under this project with a critical lens (again referring back to my action plan) I will try my best to not make generalisations. 

Successes:

The MAR initiative has unquestionably improved Windhoek's water and hence food security, however we need to take this one step further as Geographers to try and understand to what extent it has actually improved. Their approach to water management has not only maintained a consistent supply of water but also reduced dependency on outside water sources (Taylor, 2019), which is a significant step in the right direction for a 'desert' city (Tredoux, Van Der Merwe and Peters, 2009). 

Through prudent water storage during times of surplus, the city has protected itself against the unpredictability of its arid environment (this can only be verified by a time of drought/hardship). During the 2015/2016 drought "borehole water provided the city’s water security...because the aquifer had been replenished via borehole injection prior to the drought" (Murray, 2017), this a clear example of success for the MAR project in a practical context, critics argue if it weren't for the boreholes due to the lack of other water retainment strategies Windhoek would have struggled through this period of drought. To link this back to the big picture of food, decreased water availability means less water to grow crops with and hence decreased food security. Empirical data is also undeniable proof, Figure 1 shows after 2005 when the boreholes were drilled the water level of the Micaceous quartzites returned back to pre-1950 extraction levels.

Figure 1: Water Level overtime in Aquifers (UNESCO, 2021)

Figure 2 also highlights this:

Figure 2: "Total aquifer abstraction, injection, rainfall and average water level from all boreholes" (Murray et al., 2018)

In addition, it is also important to highlight the other successes as a biproduct of MAR. For example, there are evident economic impacts of an improved water supply (Mapani, Shikangalah and Mwetulundila, 2023). Having a reliable water source means that they can develop their agricultural and tourism sectors which ultimately contributes to the economy in a secular manner.

Main Points and Overview:

• MAR has clear successes for water/food security.
• It has other benefits outside of just water/food security (e.g. economic).
• It can be statistically proven to be successful, suggesting it's transferable to other regions.

Initially, I was going to weigh up the successes and limitations of Windhoek's MAR scheme into one post however I underestimated how much literature and reading there was surrounding this topic. Hence I have decided to now dedicate one post to successes and one on limitations (and a conclusion/comparison!)

I hope this will paint a much more detailed picture of the true story of water security in Windhoek.

As always thanks for reading and I encourage you to comment below with any thoughts or feedback!                              

The Hunger Games: Groundwater is Gold🗺️

Hey everybody, welcome back to my second post. In light of the new Hunger Games film coming out in November, I thought I would start this post by trying to link the film series and Geography! There are some clear theme overlaps between the films and Water/Food in Africa (the most obvious being the play on words), however in the films there are themes of oppression, starvation and corruption which can sadly be found in certain African regions. Despite this, building on my first post and using the action plan I devised it's not fair to to make the generalisation that this is the case in all African regions.  

The Hidden (but Not so Hidden) Groundwater: 

For many African farmers, groundwater, is "an essential ingredient"(Gaye and Tindimugaya, 2018). It is an in theory steady and dependable source that is especially important in areas with limited or unpredictable surface water. Exploring groundwater in the context of a case study will make analysis stronger, I have chosen Namibia as it's an arid region with a high variety of aquifer productivity as seen in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Aquifer Productivity Distribution in Africa (McGrath, 2012)

Namibia in Context:

With the Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) initiative, the city of Windhoek (the capital) is addressing the severe reality of water shortage (and hence food shortages as a biproduct) in a novel way. In addition to addressing the pressing issue of water security, this strategy establishes a standard for long-term, sustainable water management in dry areas (Murray et al., 2018).

The unique climate and topography of Windhoek need creative ways to water management. Because of the difficult terrain and scarcity of permanent rivers, the city could not continue to rely on traditional water supply (Tredoux, Van Der Merwe and Peters, 2009). The MAR project, which has been under progress since 2006, was first proposed in 1997 and aims to make water safer and more sustainable in the future.

Restoring a fractured quartzite aquifer underneath the city is the main objective of the MAR plan. In order to use this process, clean water must be periodically injected into the aquifer so that it may be drawn from when resources are few. During the first phase, six injection boreholes (Figure 2) with a 10,000 m³/day (Murray et al., 2018) capacity were erected. Subsequent additions have resulted in a considerable increase in the system capacity.

Figure 2: Injection Borehole Site (Murray, 2017)

For Windhoek, the MAR plan is more than a technological advancement; it's a lifeline. In addition to ensuring the population's survival, the city's increased water supply also creates the foundation for future expansion, development and addressing food issues - a thriving population can't be a hungry one. Such programmes are more important than ever in light of climate change (Wise, 2017), providing a 'proof of concept' model for other areas with comparable problems.

Moving Forward:

The next post will offer an analysis into the effectiveness of the MAR scheme.

As always, I encourage you to comment your thoughts (don't be shy!) Any feedback is appreciated!

Feeding Africa: Intro to the Relationship Between Food and Water🥫

Upon picking a topic, food and water instantly stood out to me since thoroughly enjoying previous modules such as Human Ecology and Thinking Geographically II. It is imperative that I start by comprehending the larger context before I investigate the complex interaction between food and water in Africa (Thompson et al., 2000). 

Water is essential to maintaining food security. Its management, availability, and quality all have a direct impact on agricultural output. But the relationship between water and food in Africa is more intricate than irrigation or rainfall; it involves a number of political decisions, socioeconomic considerations, cultural norms, and environmental shifts (Khan et al., 2022).

Africa faces a number of difficulties in this area. The stakes are significant, ranging from the impending threat of climate change, which alters rainfall patterns and water availability (CARTER and PARKER, 2009), to political conflicts that may cause disruptions in the distribution of food. Furthermore, the growing urbanisation and population put a strain on the resources already in place, necessitating creative fixes and sustainable practises.

But unlike what may be portrayed in Western media, difficulties are not always prevalent. I will admit having written academically about Africa before perhaps I have made assumptions and generalisations that I shouldn't have. Reading Binyavanga Wainaina's article 'How to Write About Africa', opened my eyes to factors I may have never considered before reading. This strongly developed my personal viewpoint on how to write about sensitive topics such as Africa, below I have devised an 'action plan' (Figure 1) that I hope may help others with their blogs!

Figure 1: Action Plan of Writing More Fairly About Africa

Building on this, Africa offers a wealth of options to combat these issues. Such as using contemporary technology (e.g. GM crops and bore holing) and indigenous wisdom together which can open the door to sustainable farming methods. Initiatives for managing water resources in the community have the potential to equitably improve local food security. Moreover, the continent's enormous untapped groundwater resources have the potential to completely transform its agricultural system (Lapworth et al., 2017).

We'll cover a wide range of subjects in the upcoming weeks, including the socioeconomic effects of water distribution, the politics surrounding large-scale irrigation projects, and the use of groundwater in agriculture. I intend to clarify the nuances of this relationship and provide guidance for the future of a well-fed and affluent Africa through this blog series.

                                    Figure 2: "I Drilled a Water Well in Africa!"

I encourage you to participate, leave comments, and share your thoughts as I build on this blog! In particular please watch the above video (Figure 2) and let me know your thoughts in the comments, I personally believe what Ruhi is doing is fantastic, watching it first hand with no media like prejudices and seeing how grateful the locals are is really heart-warming.