In recent years there are those who purchase huge areas with the (stated) goal of developing them as agricultural areas. Entrepreneurs from Dubai or London understand that by leasing and purchasing land they will get access to water without restrictions and without reservations
As the world leaders gathered in Rio, disturbing data were published in the African media. below Summary of an article which appeared in a pan-African newspaper: (with the addition of a number of my comments).
In recent years there are those who purchase huge areas with the (stated) goal of developing them as agricultural areas. Entrepreneurs from Dubai or London understand that by leasing and purchasing land they will get access to water without restrictions and without reservations. water because of which the takeover of the lands is worthwhile in a long-term account. A representative of a British company that buys land in Zambia says that "the real value is not in the land but in the water".
On the face of it, it seems that there is plenty of water in Africa, at least according to those who are behind hundreds of deals for the purchase of agricultural land in African countries. The "buyers" say that "a large part of the water sources in Africa are not being used properly and that they intend to harness them for their agricultural ventures". In reality on the ground every third African lives in an environment where water is in short supply and climate change will increase the shortfall significantly.
An examination of the places where land is purchased and how much water will be required to implement the planned projects shows that the projects cause the dispossession of thousands of villagers from their land and that as a result of the construction of the projects, water will be robbed from millions of residents and will cause the water of the continent to be depleted.
The few African countries that have attracted attention and received help in developing agriculture such as those that depend on the waters of the Nile, the longest river in the world is a source of life mainly for Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia. Since it is a lifeline, the Nile is a source of geopolitical tension that is exacerbated by the irrigation projects along its length. First huge cotton fields grown in Egypt and Sudan and later a project to transport water to the western desert in Egypt in the Toshka Canal.
Elsewhere I wrote about the "exploits" of the British in the African colonies at the beginning of the 20th century and I mentioned that according to a forced agreement from 1929, most of the Nile water (85%) is directed to Egypt and the rest (15%) to Sudan and the other countries in the Hior Yok basin.
In 1960, the Aswan Dam was built, which increases the possibilities of irrigation but also blocks the flow of nutrients to the Nile Delta and thus harms the Egyptian farmers. In recent years, the Nile Basin has been the target of a wave of agricultural development initiatives. Three of the countries in the basin: Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan are leasing millions of dunams and are offering more. To enable profitable agriculture in the leased territories, irrigation projects will be needed.
For example: in the Gambela area that borders South Sudan, companies from India and Saudi Arabia are building irrigation systems and canals that will increase the use of Nile water in Ethiopia. According to the calculation, the areas leased to foreign companies will require water in an amount that is nine times greater than the existing use.
Let's recall that the Blue Nile, which originates in Ethiopia, carries about 80% of the Nile's water. The White Nile that crosses Uganda and South Sudan joins the Blue Nile in Khartoum (Sudan). Downstream in South Sudan and Sudan, about 50 thousand square kilometers were leased to foreign companies. Egypt also leases land to foreigners and at the same time expands the irrigation systems. It is difficult to obtain up-to-date data on the irrigation capacity of the Nile. According to publications of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, it is estimated that up to 80 square kilometers can be irrigated with Nile water.
In the countries of the Nile basin, about 55 thousand square kilometers are already irrigated and there are another 86 thousand square kilometers of leased land, that is, about 140 thousand square kilometers of agricultural land that will be irrigated with Nile water. Will the great river continue to flow?
Obviously, it is worth waiting and seeing how many of all the areas will become irrigated and productive agricultural areas, but if all the projects are implemented, there is a risk that the great river will not provide enough water.
In West Africa, the Niger River is the "lifeline", the largest of the West African rivers flows through Mali, Niger and Nigeria which depend on the river, seven other countries embrace the Niger basin and use its waters.
The Niger has dams and irrigation systems and its beaches are polluted. Water experts estimate that in recent decades the flow of the river has decreased by a third mainly due to wasteful use and climate change. The same experts estimate that in the coming years the river will lose another third of its water volume.
In Mali, the river stretches across a large delta around which most of the agricultural crops of the landlocked country are grown and around which "land robbery" cases occur which are masked by a local intermediary ("Nigerian office"). Today, about 7,000 square kilometers of rice are grown on an area irrigated by river water.
In 1990, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations determined that Niger water can be used to irrigate about 50 square kilometers, but today, following the decrease in water volume, experts state that only 25 square kilometers can be irrigated. So set. The Malian government has leased areas of about 50 thousand square kilometers to foreign companies from Libya, China, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia and others, and is still offering more areas for lease.
Rights to land and water areas in the Nile and Niger basins are "divided". "Land robbery" in Africa is centered around the major rivers. Since the intention of the "robbers" is commercial agricultural crops (their crops will be sent for export), then a prerequisite for the cultivation of the looted areas will be irrigation systems that will dry out the continent.
Not long ago I mentioned the dam on the Omo River That hundreds of thousands of residents will be deprived of their livelihood, the water that was used to grow sugar cane... for fuel. In Kenya, opposition is arising to a government plan to hand over a huge area in the alluvial fan of the Tana River. Handing over the territory will cause serious damage to one of the special and unique tourist sites - the Lamu Archipelago. The "handover" will cause an environmental disaster and damage to local populations that make a living from fishing and agriculture.
The Senegal River basin and its alluvial fan were damaged as a result of "handing over" thousands of square kilometers to foreign parties for the development of industrial agriculture. The inhabitants of the basin and the delta are dispossessed, and so the list goes on and touches on many of the countries of the continent, huge areas "owned" by foreign parties. This "property" causes millions of Africans to lose access to water, land and the source of their livelihood and livelihood. Small farmers are removed from the territories. The water transport canals and the fencing of the irrigation systems prevent those who remained on their land access to water.
Contrary to what the "developers" will say, there is not enough water in Africa to supply the huge agricultural projects. If these projects are realized, they will destroy and pollute the cultivated areas and, in their wake, the remaining areas. The giant projects will cause deforestation, land depletion and salting in large areas. Africa is not built for such harassment and enforcement. A third of its inhabitants lack clean water and food production will suffer and suffer even more due to climate change.
The supporters of the land deals and the giant projects for diverting water claim that the investments are positive because they will be given an opportunity to fight hunger and poverty, but the bulldozers that flatten forests and plant plants that need water that will be absorbed and exported will not be a solution to hunger and poverty. We will remind and make it clear that the vast majority of the agricultural ventures developed by foreign parties are intended to grow crops for export or fuel crops.
If there is an "altruistic" tone in the activities of the corporations that are "developing" Africa, and if the goal is to increase food production - then there is plenty of evidence that the most effective way to do this is to rely on local tradition, traditional management of water sources, preserving the land using traditional methods and strengthening The water and land rights of the local populations.
While his friends discuss important environmental issues, there are those who take care of themselves under the guise of helping backward countries. First they looted the minerals of the Black Continent and now under the guise of supporting "altruistic" development, they take over land to control water sources. The British took over Kenya and Uganda to control the Nile which was the source of life for Egypt and thus to control the Suez Canal. Today, when forecasts indicate a lack of water - a new colonialism is created, a colonialism of water sources.
And then they are surprised when citizens of offended countries ask for asylum in the offending countries.
11 תגובות
From flying in Africa:
Malthus was an 18th century British demographer. Malthus claimed that the rate of population growth is greater than the rate of growth of food sources, therefore if there are no reasons to limit the amount of people such as natural disasters and epidemics, a situation of lack and hunger will be created which will cause wars. This is what is happening in Africa. Because because there are too many people in the world, the world robs the resources of poor countries, which causes wars, which causes a refugee problem, and in the end, it turns out that tens of thousands of African refugees arrive in Israel... Of course, many refugees also arrive in Europe and America.
Some food for thought…
The world wants water and the Israelis are already producing water from the air and you can build large water facilities and sell to Africa all over the world!!!! Water from the air and electricity from the sun and what is left??? Take the initiative and do it and be the first in the world!!!!!
Eternal material
You probably didn't live in the 20th century that I lived in.
To remind you, I brought you a very partial list of European colonies at the beginning of the 20th century
Great Britain - Sudan, Australia, Bahamas, British East Africa, British Ghana, Burma, Canada and Egypt.
Netherlands - Suriname.
France – Algeria, French Ghana, Chad, Congo, Gabon, French India, Cambodia, Laos, Polynesia, Benin, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia.
Germany - Cameroon, Eritrea, German East Africa, Togo.
Portugal - Angola, Portuguese Congo, Timor.
And so on.
Just for the sake of historical accuracy, the 20th century was marked by the emergence of communism into the world, during the 20th century billions of people lived under the yoke of communism. Many are still under it. In the 20th century, workers' councils were born, labor laws and equality regardless of religion, gender, or performance. Prohibitions on child labor developed (they used to work in mines...) and a free education law. Of course, all these did not reach every place on the globe, but even their very existence is a development.
Conventions such as Kyoto were signed to protect the world. And public opinion was formed in the world against conquests, enslavement and wars.
The revival did not start in the 20th century nor in the 19th century. She was born with the first man precisely in the current century humanity has taken big steps in the opposite direction.
But of course writing history is an important characteristic of communists, otherwise how can they sway people after them. When even though the 20th century was soaked in blood Communism manages to stand out as the number 1 killer.
Everyone here treats the Farikas as if they were little children and the West is the kindergartener.
"No cute, you mustn't push your finger into the socket..."
It is time Africans learn to deal with their own problems. The main reason that many there live in hunger and poverty is simple - too many people. When all the "human rights" organizations stop messing around, maybe the situation will finally improve because Africans will realize that they are the ones responsible for their fate.
Europe also had slaves and vassals who were no better than slaves, South America was also ruled by colonialism, and Cuba, India, and many countries in Southeast Asia were plundered by the West...
Instead of fostering attitudes that Africans should run away instead of facing reality and solving their problems is simply an insult to intelligence. I have never seen the same attitude towards other nations.
Why does the water in Africa remind me of the gas in Israel?
Glacial, perhaps the solution is to stop the recovery trend that started in the 20th century and continues in this century in full force. to internalize the fate of this life. Understand what is really important
Africa = Dosadi experiment?
You finally hit a bullseye
well done.
The last paragraph as if 'local tradition' is the most effective method is ridiculous.
I am not in favor of what is being proposed, but the companies in question do not 'waste' water for their own pleasure compared to the locals, on the contrary... they use modern methods that allow the use of much less water and crops that grow much faster.
Perhaps the solution is to transfer such methods to the locals and not to sell the area, but to claim that it is better to "traditionally manage the water sources, preserve the soil using traditional methods" is sad, the ancient methods are comparatively the most wasteful.
to the universe:
Yes, mines and territories are robbed, in Africa slaves (yes really) work in the mines, the rest of the locals are driven from their land and the fruits are enjoyed by a small layer of local tyrants and foreign companies to manage. In Australia, hundreds of thousands of natives (aboriginals) were dispossessed of their lands and only recently are they starting to be taken into account and give them some of their rights back.
No one robs minerals and territories (perhaps during colonialism) everything is sold for money or its equivalent.
It's like saying that Australia's mines are being robbed, Australia sells and the world buys, free market. What is the problem?