Leveraging Data-Driven Approaches
Basil Osayin Daudu, Salisu Ameh Amodu, Peace Ojochenemi Yakubu, Esther Besty Anaiye · 2025
Generally, water is essential to life, and it is an important aspect of human endeavor. The governments of the different countries have adopted various measures at varying levels of society to ensure water security and provision for their citizens. Despite these measures, Africa’s water governance faces numerous challenges such as population growth, climate change, and inefficient management leading to unequal distribution, unsustainable use, and probably deaths of users, especially when water is contaminated or abused. Many African nations have gradually upgraded their traditional measures to AI-driven measures to tackle the water crisis for the betterment of everyone efficiently, but how successful have they been compared to the track records of the developed countries? Therefore, the chapter’s objectives are to: (i) examine the trends of water governance across Africa over the years, (ii) evaluate the impact of the challenges of water governance on the African continent, and (iii) suggest some AI-driven approaches for ensuring effective water governance in Africa. Thus, with a qualitative method, this chapter explores the transformative force of data-driven approaches in African water governance by examining how real-time and predictive data can enhance decision-making and policy implementation for dealing with water crises and ensuring sustainable water governance in Africa.