Young people in 51 African countries map water insecurity, with findings for COP31 and the UN Water Conference
More than 2,100 young people took part in a survey and consultations led by the Green Africa Youth Organisation, which wants their own solutions funded and scaled.
Antalya — An initiative led by the Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), with the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, has gathered young people's experiences of water insecurity across 51 African countries.
More than 1,200 young people took part in a preliminary survey and over 900 in consultations across the continent's five regions, GAYO climate director Baliqees Salaudeen-Ibrahim told Premium Times at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye.
Solutions already under way
"What we're trying to understand is what the current water challenges are on the continent of Africa and how young people are responding to this problem," Salaudeen-Ibrahim said. The consultations confirmed the concerns raised in the survey and highlighted community projects led by young people. GAYO plans to identify promising approaches, raise money for them and see how they could be repeated elsewhere.
The findings were prepared so they could be put to the COP31 leadership, and are due to be presented formally at the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi in December.
The gap to close
The 2025 WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme report found that only 32% of people in sub-Saharan Africa had safely managed drinking water in 2024: 16% in rural areas and 52% in cities. Salaudeen-Ibrahim said governments must work with young people to put solutions into practice, not only invite them to discussions.
Source: Premium Times, 12 November 2026.
