Water Day: Preventing Conflicts over Water Resources

In recent years, conflicts between farmers and pastoralists over land and water resources have increased due to diminishing land and water resources in West Africa. This situation is exacerbated by the increasing insecurity which restricts access and resources-use patterns. 

In line with this year’s World Water Day theme, “Water for Peace”, World Vision works with the governments, local partners, faith leaders and communities to promote the role of water in preventing water-related conflicts. Indeed, these frictions have the potential to spill over into more serious life-threatening violence increasing the fragility of the affected communities. Children and women are the most affected by conflict of any nature, World Vision WASH programming focuses on ensuring that the most vulnerable in all areas where we work have guaranteed access to WASH services without exposing them to more fragility. 

Country spotlights  

In northern Ghana, violent conflicts pitting farmers against pastoralist communities persist. This conflict revolves around the competing needs of these communities to access and utilise water and land as their primary natural resources available. It is important that our teams understand these dynamics in order to provide a sustainable solution to the recurrent and violent conflicts between these groups. The Ghana Integrated Program has in the past year reached more than 247,010 people with WASH services. 

In Chad, World Vision works closely with the government and the local communities to provide enough water used not only for drinking purposes but also to support farmers and animals rearing communities. Last year our Chad WASH programme reached 473,943 people with WASH services. 

By 2025, the West Africa region's WASH programming aims to reach more than 8.5 million people with access to water, sanitation and hygiene behavior change programming services.  

Article by Godfrey Mawaa (World Vision West-African Region Director WASH & ESCA)