Water poverty and development imperatives: A defence of ethics for sustainable water resource use and management in Sub-Sahara Africa

Abstract

As the world gathers momentum for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, it is pertinent for nations and regions to begin to evaluate and address specic challenges to development imperatives. The problem of shortage of quality water for consumption in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) has been widely discussed by different academic and technical experts using diverse platforms. There are various statistics revealing a gloomy picture of water poverty on the continent despite its relative abundance of natural water resources. While the challenges and the issues that characterize the problem have received critical attention and strategies for better resource management for sustainable provision of quality and adequate water have been suggested, water poverty continues to ravage the region. This research adopted the Secondary Data Analysis method to investigate the fundamentals of the problem. The paper revealed the central roles of unethical human disposition to resource consumption and unregulated consumption pattern in exacerbating the problem of water poverty in Africa. Flagrant abuses and disregard for environmental resource management instruments in pursuit of economic and subsistent opportunities constitute major catalyst for the increasing water poverty in Africa. In light of the above, the paper explored the social justice principle of the blue ethics to contribute to the on-going discussion on water resource management in Africa.