Options to improve water policies and legislation for rural Africa were the focus of a recent workshop held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The workshop on “African Water Laws: Plural Legislative Frameworks for Rural Water Development in Africa” took place from 26-28 January 2005. The aim of the meeting was to discuss research findings on customary water management arrangements for small-scale productive uses and domestic uses in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Participants sought to identify the range of options for African governments, international financial institutions (IFIs) and donors to better recognize existing customary water management arrangements in ongoing water reforms and to build on these in further developing water for multiple uses to alleviate poverty and enhance gender equity.
Participants recommended a number of actions with regard to policy and implementation, including the need for governments to formally recognize the validity and legitimacy of customary systems as well as statutory rights, and to remove current formal obstacles for such recognition. The workshop also proposed that governments, IFIs and donors recognize customary water management within a human rights framework, and suggested that water management authority be devolved to the local level.
On research and capacity building, participants acknowledged that African customary water arrangements and their interface with other legal frameworks are inadequately documented and recommended identifying locally appropriate and enforceable procedures, tools, and modalities for building upon customary water management arrangements in water development and regulation. The workshop website.