Online Reporter
Doris Mpala and Sharon Jiyamwa
UNIVERSITIES have been urged to move beyond research and develop practical solutions to Africa’s water and sanitation challenges, as the continent seeks to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063.
The African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 positions water and sanitation as fundamental drivers of Africa’s economic transformation, public health and climate resilience rather than basic sectoral challenges.
Speaking at the AU Model Summit Public Lecture held at the Women’s University in Africa (WUA) last Thursday, AU Permanent Representative to Southern Africa, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and SADC, Ambassador Hilda Suka Mafudze, said higher education institutions had a critical role to play in addressing water insecurity.
The lecture was held under the African Union’s 2026 Theme of the Year “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
Ambassador Mafudze said water security was linked to several aspects of development, including health, education, food security, livelihoods and economic opportunities.
“Water is not only an environmental or infrastructure issue. Water is about people. It affects health, education, livelihoods, food security and economic opportunities,” she said.
She said women, who often carried the responsibility of managing water at household and community level, should have greater representation in water-related decision-making.
“Water policies therefore need a gender lens. Women should not only be beneficiaries of water programmes; they must be researchers, engineers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and decision-makers,” Ambassador Mafudze said.
She challenged universities to strengthen research and innovation in water conservation, sanitation, climate resilience and environmental management.
“Universities must move beyond the traditional pathway of research leading to publication. We must shift from research to innovation, to practical solutions to communities,” she said. Ambassador Mafudze said universities should develop affordable water purification technologies, wastewater reuse systems, drought-resilient crops and early-warning systems suited to African conditions.
She also called for greater collaboration between scientists, engineers, economists, health professionals, social scientists, policymakers, entrepreneurs and communities.
“The water crisis cannot be solved by environmental scientists alone,” she said.
Ambassador Mafudze said climate change was increasing pressure on water resources through changing rainfall pat-terns, requiring universities to strengthen research on adaptation and resilience.
She encouraged students to view water and sanitation challenges as opportunities to develop businesses and innovative solutions.
“Young people should be positioned as solution providers, not passive beneficiaries,” she said. She urged students to explore enterprises in water conservation, sanitation, recycling, water reuse and climate-smart agriculture.
WUA Vice Chancellor Professor Sunungurai Dominica Chingarande said water and sanitation were fundamental to Africa’s development and the achievement of Agenda 2063.
She said the AU’s decision to place water and sanitation at the Centre of its 2026 agenda demonstrated the importance of water security to the continent’s development.
“Water is life. It is essential for human health, agriculture, food security, energy and livelihoods. Safe sanitation is equally important for public health, human dignity and the well-being of our communities,” she said.
