Water Policies to Support Investmentin Humans and Nature: A Compilation of Good Practices in Africa
Good governance, supporting the HRBA, can reduce investment risk through greater sustainability. Inclusive decision-making with a wide range of stakeholders helps to strengthen local ownership, and encourage broader thinking and innovation for more sustainable design and operations.
This publication examines good governance practices in Africa to protect, respect and fulfil the human rights to water and sanitation (HRWS) while also protecting the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (HRHE). It focusses on the principles of the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA).
Adopting the HRBA means incorporating human rights and its principles into each and every working project. It goes beyond focusing solely on outcomes by drawing attention to the entire process, implementing human rights principles in every step of the project design, planning and operations. By applying an HRBA, the result will also have a positive effect in strengthening all water-related human rights as the inclusive process helps to identify areas of need.
The title of this publication, ‘Water Policies to Support Investment in Humans and Nature: A Compilation of Good Practices in Africa’ clearly links the conservation of natural water resources with water for human consumption and productive use. It will become increasingly important for new infrastructure development to consider these interconnected aspects. The report is a collective effort by the African Development Bank, Water Research Commission and Human Right 2 Water, aiming to align water management strategies with human rights principles to enhance sustainability and reduce investment risks and contribute to efforts towards attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 6 and 5.
