With a number of drivers for progress within the industrial market, the challenges for water in Africa are extra round implementation than expertise, says Walid Khoury of water engineering agency Desalytics, as he prepares for Water Africa 2024 in Ghana in June.
What are the primary challenges for the water market in Africa?
The problem we see in Africa is on two fronts – after all the UN’s sustainable improvement objective 6 (SDG6) round proving sanitation and clear water to populations, however what is usually missed is significance of the economic sector. If industrial manufacturing and manufacturing just isn’t correctly taken care of, you should have the inhabitants competing on water availability, but additionally water high quality, as a result of industrial purchasers might be polluting.
As somebody who has labored within the African marketplace for 17 years, the actual problem I’m seeing is the necessity to focus extra on the economic aspect, which represents the largest a part of the answer. First as a result of they’ve the cash to put money into options, secondly as a result of they will contribute extra to sustaining the aquifers round their operations, and in addition, they will use much less water of their operations.
Probably the most progress might be made by the personal and public sectors working hand-in-hand, so we are able to get to some extent the place we are able to speak about water abundance slightly than water shortage.
What are the primary drivers in water on the continent and in West Africa particularly?
Africa as an entire is an fascinating market, as are Ghana and West Africa particularly, as a result of you’ve all of the dynamics – demographic change, urbanisation and industrialisation, together with a tightening regulatory setting. There’s a fast-growing inhabitants, with many individuals are shifting into the cities, which is putting extra stress on the aquifers and water high quality and availability.
Then you’ve Industrialisation, which implies larger GDP per capita, so extra individuals have more cash to purchase extra items, which implies extra manufacturing, which implies extra competitors for the accessible water.
On the regulatory aspect, stricter measures are being launched and enforced, which additionally provides extra strain on water. So all of the drivers are there and Africa is likely one of the few markets globally the place there are such a lot of drivers working in parallel, serving to the market to develop.
What sorts of options are in demand?
At this time water engineers and water utilities and industrial end-users all over the world have all of the applied sciences they want of their arsenal. What’s missing in Africa is extra on introduction and implementation of options, so we are able to shift the mindset of what’s attainable.
For giant industrial water customers, the applied sciences which might be required to deal with and check water are roughly the identical as these being applied within the extra developed economies, whether or not that’s ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis membranes or water high quality displays. It’s simply availability that isn’t there.
Implementing the applied sciences additionally means elevating the capital, the funding, no matter is required to make the expertise accessible.
Native installers and repair groups additionally want to have the ability to educate purchasers on why they want the expertise, find out how to use it, and find out how to service, fee and keep it. I’ve seen numerous instances the place some funding was made accessible and merchandise have been despatched to Africa after which there was no budgeting for spare components, for observe up, for coaching. after which it finally ends up being a waste of cash.
Crucial half is to make the abilities and applied sciences regionally accessible and be capable to assist purchasers and assist them regionally. That’s the reason Desalytics was began, to have individuals on the bottom in Africa, who have been from Africa, and understood the cultural and the consumer wants.
What funding sources can be found?
Finance is multifaceted, coming from the World Financial institution, the African Improvement Financial institution and lively improvement companies like USAID. On high of that you’ve got the personal sector and the buyer. For instance, Ghana Water offers water to the inhabitants and receives funds from these prospects.
So there’s a mixture of a number of income producing streams, and these are rising and diversifying, which helps the market to develop. World gamers within the meals and beverage sector like Coca-Cola, Diageo and AB InBev are aiming to offset their water consumption by creating initiatives the place they will return water to the aquifer.
They’re making clear water accessible for home consumption with a view to increase their very own provides, as a result of they’ve reached the purpose in their very own manufacturing processes the place they can’t cut back their water use additional. Breweries requires 3.8 litres of water for a litre of produced beer, so you can’t go additional since you want the water to supply beer.
You’re moderating a panel on industrial water within the Water Africa seminar programme – what can delegates count on?
Know-how suppliers have been invited to speak about how their options can affect industrial water, however we’re additionally inviting water end-users to be panellists, those that are operating industrial vegetation and utilities.
These events can change concepts and talk about how firms can optimise their water footprint in industrial settings. Delegates will hear about applied sciences and improvements with case research from Africa, particularly Ghana, so individuals can see that these measures might be launched and applied regionally. They are going to hear actual instances that may be rolled out on the bottom.
What’s the good thing about participating in exhibitions and seminar programmes like Water Africa?
Occasions like Water Africa are quite common within the US, Europe and Asia, however we don’t see so lots of them in Africa. Water Africa has been operating for a very long time, so it’s effectively established and at all times brings collectively all the important thing gamers. In Ghana that features Ghana Water, the municipalities, the Minister of Atmosphere, the schools – everyone is invited and actively collaborating in such occasions, everyone is concerned.
It is vitally essential to have these sorts of occasions when everyone seems to be introduced collectively to share experience, current the most recent choices, discover out what is going on globally, but additionally regionally, and making an attempt to see what might be utilized in Ghana, in West Africa. Folks come from throughout the area, and also you share concepts; they will speak to you about their challenges.
It’s important for firms to be current, and to see their involvement as a long-term funding within the area. Constructing relationships is difficult work and it takes time, which is why we want occasions like Water Africa, and we want them to occur yearly, in order that we are able to construct relationships and construct belief.
What does success appear like for Desalytics?
For Desalytics I measure success when it comes to the affect we’re making. It’s at all times attainable to exit into the world and promote merchandise for our expertise companions, however real affect must be extra about long-lasting measures like what number of engineers we’ve got on the bottom, how succesful they’re, what coaching they’re experiencing.
Variety issues to me, together with the gender steadiness in our organisation, which includes 55% African ladies. If in case you have the fundamentals coated – succesful native individuals on the bottom, numerous staff, then all the pieces else follows.
Now we have had a number of success when it comes to bettering membrane operations or different techniques operations, or bettering water high quality when it comes to microbiological measures like E coli, however the primary one is in transferring that data to native engineers. There are many proficient individuals throughout Africa, so it pays to provide them alternatives to begin working in respectable organisations the place they will study rather a lot.
I began my very own profession at Nalco, which was fortunate as a result of Nalco has its personal water college. The extra amenities like this we are able to have regionally, offering coaching for individuals to know how the applied sciences work in utility – that will be an enormous success.
What recommendation would you give to firms getting into the African marketplace for the primary time?
I at all times encourage the multinationals we work with to have a look at Africa, particularly West Africa and Ghana, as a result of progress will certainly come from there.
These getting into the African market must search for native firms and companions who perceive the tradition and who might be dependable on the bottom. It is because you additionally must concentrate on the compliance, and the foreign money danger. As with all market, there are dangers, however when you have the suitable native accomplice, who can meet these purchasers face-to-face, it’s attainable to achieve success.
Total the outlook for sub-Saharan Africa is optimistic. It is likely one of the final areas on the planet the place there’s nonetheless a number of work to be completed. So even with out the broader demographic developments and industrialisation, there’s nonetheless a niche, and a must carry the sub-Saharan area as much as customary when it comes to water and sanitation, industrial processing and air pollution prevention.
Water Africa 2024 exhibition and seminars are co-located with West Africa Constructing & Building and takes place 26-28 June 2024 in Accra, Ghana. For extra data go to https://www.ace-events.com/.
