Crisis and water development, preservation and utilization

Abstract

At the heart of the multi-facetted crisis now facing Africa, the wide-spread drought and the drought-induced food crisis undoubtedly represents the most pressing social and economic issue which requires' collective action by African countries and the international community in order to avert the death of millions of people and the destruction of their means of livelihood. Changing patterns of land use increases in population, socio-political problems and damaging trends in the world economy have combined with a failure of seasonal rains, both north and south of the Equator, to produce the current devastating crisis such that 27 countries were designated abnormally food aid dependent at the end of 1904.