Why Africa needs circular water economies
A military officer helping locals fetch water that KDF had trucked to the far-flung Lomelo village in Turkana East on February 17, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Nairobi receives around 525 million litres of water daily, far short of the nearly 870 million litres required.
Africa’s intensifying water crisis denies millions of people access to basic drinking water. Prolonged droughts in East Africa have left urban centres grappling with major water supply deficits. Nairobi, for example, receives around 525 million litres of water daily, far short of the nearly 870 million litres required. Such mounting pressures reveal a fundamental need to rethink how water is sourced, used, and reused.
A promising solution lies in embracing circular water economies, which aim to manage water as a sustainable, regenerative resource. Unlike the conventional linear model of "use and discard," circular water systems extend the lifespan of each drop through recycling, reuse, and efficiency. The concept encompasses reducing water usage in production and consumption, repurposing wastewater, and recovering energy and materials during treatment processes. This, in essence, redefines water as a renewable asset, not as a disposable commodity.
This approach is critical in Africa, where water is scarce and deeply interconnected. Around 90 per cent of the continent's freshwater flows through 63 transboundary river basins, necessitating cooperation among nations. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, which contributes most of the Nile's flow, has heightened tensions with Sudan and Egypt, highlighting the role of poorly managed water resources in geopolitical strains. A circular mindset encourages collaboration over conflict by treating water as a shared, long-term resource.
The economic rationale for circular water economies is equally compelling. Sub-Saharan Africa loses an estimated five per cent of its GDP annually due to poor water and sanitation services. In contrast, investments in water and sanitation yield returns of at least sevenfold through improvements in health, education, and food systems.
By turning waste into opportunity, circular practices increase resilience to climate shocks such as erratic rainfall or floods and maximise limited resources. Measures like rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse and natural ecosystem restoration are environmentally responsible and economically strategic.
In agriculture, circular principles can have a transformative impact as it is responsible for about 70-90 per cent of water withdrawals in Africa. Ironically, less than seven per cent of Africa's farmland is irrigated as most farmers rely solely on rainfall, leaving them highly vulnerable to climate variability. Efficient irrigation systems and water recycling can therefore dramatically increase agricultural output while reducing dependency on unpredictable weather in African countries.
Dry spells
Small scale initiatives are helping farmers install small rainwater reservoirs, or water pans, enabling them to irrigate during dry spells. Reusing municipal wastewater in farming provides a reliable water source and enriches the soil with nutrients for a sustainable agricultural loop.
Urban areas, too, stand to gain. Rapid population growth in African cities is pushing water demand beyond what ageing infrastructure can support. In Nairobi, even eliminating all water leaks and theft would still leave the city unable to meet current demand. Here, circular approaches such as reusing greywater from sinks and showers, mandating rooftop rainwater catchment systems, and upgrading to on-site treatment plants can ease supply pressures. Namibia’s Windhoek has safely turned sewage into drinking water since 1968, while Durban in South Africa uses recycled water for industrial applications, reducing reliance on freshwater sources.
Another overlooked aspect of the circular water model is sanitation. An estimated 80–90 per cent of wastewater is discharged untreated across low-income African countries. Cities like Addis Ababa treat less than 10 per cent of their wastewater, allowing the rest to flow untreated into the environment. This damages ecosystems and threatens public health. Modern treatment processes can transform such wastewater into safe water for agriculture, industry, or even drinking, while recovering valuable byproducts like biogas and fertiliser nutrients. Turning waste into a resource is a fundamental shift toward closing the loop on water use.
Nature-based solutions complement these efforts by integrating green infrastructure with grey systems like pipes and treatment plants. Wetlands, for example, filter pollutants naturally and buffer against floods, while forested watersheds store water and prevent erosion. African water experts are slowly recognising these ecosystems as essential to long-term sustainability.
East Africa, after facing years of drought-induced water stress, exemplifies the stakes and opportunities of this transformation. The region is beginning to embrace circular solutions. Kenya and Tanzania have expanded rainwater harvesting, Uganda is converting faecal sludge into fuel, and Nairobi is incorporating water recycling into infrastructure planning. These early steps suggest a growing awareness that circular water strategies offer practical, scalable answers to a regional crisis.
Ultimately, adopting circular water economies is both an environmental choice and a development necessity. Africa's population growth, climatic pressures, and infrastructure gaps make business-as-usual approaches untenable. The continent has an opportunity to leapfrog traditional models and build water systems that are inclusive, resilient and sustainable. From recycled wastewater to smarter irrigation and nature-based restoration, the tools already exist. With political will, investment, and cross-border collaboration to scale them, Africa will address water security and gain in health, agriculture, and peace.
