Introduction: embrace and understand the complexity of water and food in Africa

From my previous studies and human ecology course learnt in year one, water and food scarcity are always constant threats facing mankind. Africa is usually recognised as a vulnerable continent that constantly faces water and food crises. The situation in 2022 has worsened economically, politically and environmentally. To understand the current situation, potential challenges, and further discussions about individual countries, it is helpful for the readers to know my viewpoint on this complicated issue. Since lack of food and water is an obvious 'tag' on Africa, my introduction post will briefly clarify the typical stereotypes of African studies and help readers to better understand my future blogs. I will try to avoid the inequalities within my writing and be objective in writing about Africa.

Understand the complexity of 'Africa.'

A typical picture of Africa: big and red sunset, wild empty savanna. Source

Before going into details about water and food in Africa, the first question is how to write about it. Binyawanga Wainaina's article 'How to write about Africa' (Wainaina, 2018) ironically criticises social media and previous writings on Africa have been misconcepualised and depicted. Most media, writers, photographers and influencers use eye-catching headlines and photos to gain popularity and views. Hence the real issue will be misinterpreted or misrepresented to a certain extent. 'Chaos', 'AIDs', 'Tribes', and some photos of naked, malnourished Africans are the most common tags of Africa. These stereotypes often have negative meanings and may gain more attention, but at the same time, they are also highly misleading. Hence, as a writer who has never been to Africa and highly depends on internet sources, 

What's more, Africa is a very complex continent. There are 54 countries and over 1.4 billion people who are also highly ethnically diverse. The topography and geology of Africa also vary significantly across the continent. Therefore in my blogs, I will try my best to use and provide neutral resources and be specific in addressing the food and water scarcity problem in Africa.

It is also essential to use more resources from African scholars since 'the post-colonial dominance of Northern research occurs even in fields such as African Studies, where articles by African-based scholars are less likely to be accepted for publication and less likely to be cited' (Skopec et al., 2020). Hence, imperialism within African studies is inevitable, and in my later posts, I will have a post of voice from African scholars. It will also be helpful to include more community-based local projects as case studies.

Overall, water and food security is a complex, urgent problem across Africa. In my later posts, I will share some specific cases and issue on a micro-scale with a conclusion and evaluation of my findings and discussions. These will cover cases and discussions about water scarcity, food security, international aid, agriculture, population growth and all other related issues.