An Introduction

Hello and Welcome!

In this blog I will be exploring the relationship between water and environmental change with a focus on the African continent. I believe that we humans are intrinsically linked to the physical environment and that our development as a species is reliant on this connection. 

Water, especially freshwater, is now being shaped by humans more than ever before and the time we live in now is more increasingly being recognised as 'the age of humans'- the Anthropocene. A concept that puts the relationship between humans and the environment into perspective is The Doughnut of Social and Planetary Boundaries, developed by Kate Raworth(2017). This framework combines both the Earth's planetary boundaries (Rockstrom et al., 2009) and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are the global standard that is to be achieved when looking at development, they outline the targets that need to be met to ensure the wellbeing of the planet and its inhabitants. Several SDGs are relevant to the issues surrounding water and environmental change in Africa, with SDG 13 revolving around climate action, SDG 15 looking at protecting ecosystems from factors such as deforestation, and SDG 6 which emphasises clean water and sanitation for all by 2030. 

Throughout this blog I aim to learn more about the bond between environmental change and water in Africa, in terms of both its physical and human characteristics and consequences.  


The Doughnut of Social and Planetary Boundaries 
(Raworth, 2017) 


Before starting this blog, I read a recommended article called 'How to Write About Africa' (Wainaina, 2005) which was very eye opening (I highly suggest you give it a read). The satirical perspective on the representation of Africa gave me an idea for a little reflective exercise that I would love for you to join me in:

   Take a moment to close your eyes and think about what you picture
   when you hear/read the word 'Africa', do the same with the words
   'water', 'development' and 'environmental change'. 
   Just sit with that for a second. 

It does become very easy to fall into the narrow thought that these words represent one thing, one culture, one form, one method, one source. Reflecting upon the article and this exercise I have realised that it is incredibly common to have a certain 'view point'  more correctly termed as a ‘mental model’ or ‘thought heuristic’ and I do not think that there are many exceptions, especially as we are constantly surrounded by these representations. For instance, the media talks of development in Africa with a very narrow range of images as mentioned by Wainaina (2005). With the word Africa for example how many envision the grasslands of the Serengeti or BandAid images of ‘need’. I have heard Africa spoken about as if it were a single country not a vast continent containing 54 and I am sure many of you have heard the same. 

When thinking ‘water’ and ‘Africa’, it needs to be kept in mind that different areas of the continent experience differing weather patterns and have different sources of water available due to the physical characteristics of each location in addition to the demands of populations living there. 

Wainaina (2005)
Wainaina (2005)


The variability across the continent will be further explored in my next few posts as I delve deeper into the topics briefly mentioned here. I hope that you join me along the way. Updates on this blog along with posts from my previous blog surrounding environmental change and health can also be found on Instagram.

Comments

  1. Kerry11 November 2020 at 09:51

    Good introduction to your blog and why you have chosen to focus on water and environmental change. Great synthesis of resources and use of hyperlinks.

    (GEOG0036 PGTA)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laila Bhatti8 January 2021 at 11:28

    A really nice introduction Sana. I like how you emphasise the impact humans have on the environment. I also like how you used Wanaina's piece to emphasise the vastness and diversity of Africa. Well done!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Variability in Africa

Image
As mentioned in my introductory post, there are differing human and environmental conditions across the continent of Africa. The variability of these conditions often influence or are influenced by water presence. I thought it would be interesting to get a better picture of the variability within Africa so I created a visual mind map:  Variability in Africa, a Mind Map  (Click on the map to see it in more detail) Citations:  A leman et al, 2016 ;  Almazroui et al, 2020 ;   Cartwright, 2015 ;    MacDonald et al, 2012 ;   Masih et al, 2014 ;   United Nations, 2015;  United Nations Environment Programme, 2010 For me, this mind map is a great way to picture how varied the continent is and also reminds me of how much needs to be considered when discussing environmental change and water in Africa. I also noticed how interconnected each branch is, for instance  the presence of a particular biome is influenced by precipitation and water availability which in turn can be influenced by physical
Read more

Solving the Water Crisis

Image
I recently watched a documentary which I heard about through a colleagues blog , called 'Brave Blue World: Racing to Solve Our Water Crisis', which sparked my interest so I thought I would share it.  The film focuses on innovation towards sustainable water and uses examples from all over the world, making it clear that difficulties regarding water resources are not just found in developing regions. Often the water crisis is discussed in a negative light and rightly so, however this documentary gives people hope that we are moving in the right direction, that there is potential to deal with the issues. The correct management is crucial and it starts at a local scale. They split the water crisis down into three key areas - water scarcity, the need for resilient infrastructure with regards to climate change and making it affordable. I thought this was a good way to take all factors into consideration, from the physical aspects of water availability and the interdisciplinary impact
Read more