"Digitalization and AI are key for water sector development while addressing African realities"

Please tell us briefly about your background and role at the African Development Bank.

During my childhood, our regular family vacations in our native village of Bafou, in the grasslands of western Cameroon, allowed me to experience the daily challenges of fetching water from the well or the backwater located a certain distance from the family home. This heavy daily constraint led early to my drive to ensure sustainable access to water in Africa, and a vision for all humans to have sustainable access to basic services such as drinking water. My studies and career choices have been built around this. I hold a dual MSc in Water & Environment Engineering from the French National School for Water and Environmental Engineering (ENGEES), an MSc in Water Management from Cranfield University in the UK, and a Global Executive MBA from INSEAD. Before joining the African Development Bank Group, I worked for about 10 years in SUEZ, a global company in water and environment, where I successfully held senior positions in operational, business and corporate.

Today, my role at the African Development Bank Group is the convergence of two of my passions: Water and Africa. I am currently the Manager of the Water Development and Sanitation Division, West Africa Region, responsible for a USD 1 billion portfolio of ongoing operations.

What are the primary goals of the African Development Bank's water strategy in addressing the challenges of water security across the continent?

Aligned with the African Union Agenda 2063, the overall objective of the African Development Bank Group is to provide financing to African countries, individually and collectively, for projects that will effectively contribute to their economic and social development, particularly projects that can improve the living conditions of the population. The Bank promotes government and private investment in Africa through policy reforms and dialogue and provides technical assistance and knowledge products needed in Africa.

The Bank Group's Policy on Water aims to improve Africa’s water security and transform its water assets to foster sustainable, green and inclusive socio-economic growth and development. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), to attain this goal, the Bank’s Water Strategy (2021-2025) focuses on four strategic targets: (i) achieving integrated and sustainable management of water resources, (ii) strengthening the delivery of water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services, (iii) increasing the availability of sustainable water resources for food production and nutrition, and (iv) increasing the sustainable development of water for energy by exploiting its hydropower potential.

The Bank is delivering the strategy through different initiatives. For example, the Bank financed USD 270 million for the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Program called “INCLUSIVE” which is under implementation in six States in the Northeast of Nigeria: Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe. It is a multi-sectoral programme that aims to improve the quality of life by increasing access of the poor and vulnerable to basic social services in water, sanitation, hygiene, health, and education; livelihood opportunities; food security and strengthened safety net systems; for an estimated targeted population of 14 million people. The target population includes 2,032 small and medium-sized enterprises (79% women) to be reached to develop and enhance their businesses, and 2,000 unskilled youth to be trained in economic skills for employment and job creation. My recent visit in October 2024 to Bauchi and Borno States allowed me to appreciate with my own eyes the great impact that the INCLUSIVE programme has on people, especially the most vulnerable.

How does the bank ensure that water resources are managed sustainably while also supporting economic growth and development in African nations?

Global water challenges are placing more pressure on water managers and the communities they serve than ever before. Issues like water affordability, scarcity, resilience in the face of severe weather patterns from climate change, and water quality concerns are impacting water systems and citizens all over the world. In urban areas, 2 out of 5 people still lack safely managed drinking water, 2 out of 3 people lack safely managed sanitation, and half the population lacks basic hygiene services.

Issues like water affordability, scarcity and water quality concerns are impacting water systems and citizens all over the world

The Bank Group’s objective is to contribute to the sustainable economic development and social progress of the African countries. Sustainably managed water resources are essential in achieving this. Quality at entry, good governance and inclusiveness are part of the requirements embedded in the Bank’s dialogue and processes along water project cycles.

The Bank promotes quality at entry through solid technical and environmental and social studies, well-designed and climate-resilient infrastructure, and bankable projects that will attract co-financing from partners and the private sector. The Bank encourages nature-based solutions and climate-resilient infrastructure projects by leveraging smart, innovative and greener technologies that make better and more sustainable use of water. The African Water Facility and the Project Preparation Fund are mechanisms operationalized under the African Development Bank Group that financially support the development of bankable projects for the sustainable and beneficial use of water resources.

The Bank Group also promotes good water governance based on legal, regulatory and institutional reforms as countries and regional bodies need institutional and technical capacities to implement water sector projects and optimize investments to make them sustainable. The Bank supports Governments to shape, implement and enforce good governance. Benin is developing an enabling environment through strong water sector reforms (including tariff reforms) that have resulted in affermage contracts transferring the management of rural water supply schemes from local communities to solid private operators in the country while improving service quality standards, accountability and sustainability. Bank projects under preparation will help the Government to further develop this enabling environment in urban and rural areas for sustainability.

Can you elaborate on the intelligent systems being developed to enhance operational efficiency in water management? How do these systems work in practice?

Intelligent systems can significantly enhance operational efficiency in water management through various innovative approaches, for example, with demand forecasting, they utilize data analytics and machine learning algorithms to predict water demand patterns, enabling more accurate resource allocation and minimizing waste.

The Bank engages at both national and local levels with all stakeholders including civil society, private sector and development partners

Also, Real-Time Monitoring, IoT sensors and smart meters provide real-time data on water usage, quality, and pressure levels. This data allows water utilities to detect leaks, monitor pipe conditions, and respond promptly to anomalies. Using Automated Control Systems, Intelligent systems can automate the operation of water treatment plants, pumping stations, and distribution networks, optimizing flow rates and energy consumption while maintaining service quality. With groundwater becoming more and more vulnerable to changes in quantity and quality, better management of groundwater resources is also key to ensuring their protection from exploitation and pollution. Currently, the main bottleneck for sound groundwater resource management in Africa is the existing lack of data on aquifers. So, data collection systems and analytical tools to process this data into information to support decision-making for groundwater management are also necessary, such as modelling tools and digitalization.

I would like to stress that most aquifers in Africa are transboundary, so to ensure groundwater resources are managed adequately, there needs to be transboundary cooperation for data collection and management at the river basin organizations level.

Advanced data management platforms can integrate information from various sources (e.g., weather, historical usage, and infrastructure status) to provide a holistic view of the water system, facilitating better decision-making at local, national and river basin organizations levels.

There are several others, such as predictive maintenance which allows the analysis of historical and real-time data to predict when infrastructure components are likely to fail, allowing for proactive maintenance that reduces downtime and repair costs, water quality monitoring to continuously monitor water quality parameters using sensors, ensuring compliance with health standards and providing early warning of contamination events, water bill collection and consumer engagement tools through which mobile applications and web platforms help consumers monitor their water usage in real-time, encouraging conservation and allowing for better communication between water providers and consumers.

What specific strategies are being employed to address the differing water needs of urban versus rural populations in Africa?

The Bank’s Water Strategy supports universal access to water in both rural and urban areas. The Bank Group is taking a service-oriented approach instead of infrastructure, taking into consideration affordability and sustainability conditions. The Bank Group is also utilising governance and planning mechanisms and tools which are adapted to the specific needs of populations.

How is the African Development Bank integrating climate change resilience into its water projects? Can you provide examples of successful initiatives?

The Bank, guided by its Water Strategy, works to improve water security and resilience in Africa by supporting inclusive, sustainable, well-governed service delivery and management of water resources. In Sierra Leone, this approach has helped to raise financing for the Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping project. The project cost is estimated at USD 180 million with an initial contribution of USD 13 million from the Bank Group and co-financing from development partners such as the Kuwait Fund, the OPEC Fund and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). In September 2024, an additional USD 5 million was approved by the Bank’s Climate Action Window. 

The objective of the Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping project is to increase the capacity to adapt to climate-induced hazards, through enhanced climate information systems. The interventions under the project seek to improve access to climate information services, establish and operationalize a multi-hazard early warning system to strengthen disaster risk reduction, and deliver timely and useful climate information thereby mitigating the loss of lives and livelihoods particularly impacting vulnerable populations, and preventing environmental and social losses resulting from extreme climate-related disasters.

What role do partnerships with other organizations and governments play in the bank's water strategy? How do these collaborations enhance project outcomes?

The Bank works with governments and regional organizations in alignment with national and regional strategies and policies, and the Bank Group’s water strategy. This results in stronger advocacy and policy influence.

Most aquifers in Africa are transboundary, so to ensure groundwater resources are managed adequately, there needs to be transboundary cooperation

In addition, partnerships with other organizations allow the Bank Group to leverage expertise and best practices from other perspectives. It also enables the Bank Group to pool resources and funding from various stakeholders, including international donors, non-governmental organisations, government agencies and the private sector which aids in scaling up successful projects across different regions or countries, as well as amplifying the impact of project outcomes and sustainability. Partnerships also help leverage each party’s comparative advantage as in the case of the African Water Facility within the Bank’s water department, which might focus on enhancing project readiness, while other development partners focus on downstream investment.

Local communities are also part of WASH committees to be created and trained even before the construction of infrastructure. Engaging civil society organisations further helps to ensure inclusivity so that hard-to-reach or often marginalised beneficiaries such as youth and women, are consulted in project design and implementation.

The African Development Bank’s Independent Recourse Mechanism (IRM) also provides direct access to project-affected people so that they can raise concerns directly with the Bank’s decision-makers. The IRM operates independently of the Bank’s management and reports directly to the Board of Directors, ensuring the impartiality of its actions to build trust. The Bank Group values feedback from stakeholders, such as local communities, seeking to learn from them to improve projects, raise standards, minimise disputes and enhance sustainable development outcomes for all.

How does the African Development Bank measure the success and impact of its water projects? What key performance indicators do you use?

The Bank Group’s Results Measurement Framework (RMF) for the period 2016-2025 is designed to measure and enhance development impact. The RMF uses four levels to track the Bank’s performance in meeting its development objectives: development progress across Africa, the Bank’s contributions towards development in all its operations, the quality of the Bank’s operations, and the Bank’s efficiency as an organisation. The Independent Development Evaluation Department also undertakes periodic evaluations of the Bank’s implementation of the Water Policy that focuses on the extent of the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the Bank’s assistance to the water sector, and the sustainability of the benefits of the support.

Within the framework of its interventions, the Bank’s monitoring systems include indicators focused on water security dimensions such as availability and quality, demand, economic, social and environmental benefits, pressure from climatic variability and human activities, level of attainment of water security, and access to sector-specific water services, among others.

Looking ahead to 2100, what is your vision for water security in Africa, and what critical steps do you believe are necessary to achieve that vision?

By 2100, Africa’s population is projected to reach nearly 40% of the world's population, rising to at least 4.5 billion people. Africa currently has the fastest growing middle class in the world while the urbanization rate is very high. Africa’s population is also young and growing rapidly and one in three young people aged 15 to 29 will live in Africa in 2050. The continent is the soon-to-be world’s largest workforce and has the potential to transform into a strong global economic powerhouse. However, climate-related stresses are increasing in magnitude and intensity. As a result, existing infrastructure and water services are under strain.

I believe digitalization and artificial intelligence are key enablers for developing the water sector faster, further, and in a bolder way while effectively addressing the realities of the African continent. Digitalization and AI should support network and service extension in remote areas and the optimization of both investment and operation and maintenance costs, network performance, water utility performance, water quality, and customer service including bill collection to cite just a few. The private sector, including startups, has an important role to play, not only in providing the much-needed capital investment through Public Private Partnerships, but also in providing innovation, know-how, and expertise, with the aim of enhancing operational efficiency, lowering operating costs, raising revenues, conserving, and recovering scarce resources, and increasing resilience to climate risks, among other areas.

My vision is that by 2050, well before 2100, all humans must be empowered to become actors in their future through first sustainable access to basic services such as drinking water.