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Zambia has hosted a high-level engagement for finance ministers in Washington D.C., urging countries to treat water and sanitation as core economic priorities essential for growth and stability.
The meeting, convened under the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership on the sidelines of the IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings, brought together ministers and senior officials from Zambia, Malawi, Chad, European and Caribbean countries, alongside development partners.
Delegates agreed that water security was increasingly central to macroeconomic stability, productivity, climate resilience and long-term economic growth, reflecting a growing shift in fiscal policy priorities.
Keynote speaker who is also Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, said Zambia would continue prioritising water security within its fiscal frameworks, noting that despite increased allocations, financing gaps remain significant.
Musokotwane said historical underinvestment in water infrastructure was partly due to fiscal constraints and the sector’s exclusion from core economic planning.
He added that improving efficiency and strengthening institutional capacity would be key to maximising investments.
He noted that Zambia was adopting an integrated approach that combined fiscal prioritisation, decentralised financing through the Constituency Development Fund, and efforts to attract private capital through improved governance and project management.
Officials from other countries highlighted similar challenges, including limited fiscal space and growing climate-related risks, particularly the impact of water shortages on food systems, energy supply and inflation.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Finance and National Planning Permanent Secretary for Economic Management and Finance, Mulele Mulele, called for water security to be elevated further as a macroeconomic priority.
Speaking during a World Bank dialogue on “Water Security for Africa’s Future,” Mulele warned that failure to secure water resources could undermine growth, fuel inflation and deter investment.
“Countries that fail to secure water will struggle to sustain growth, manage inflation and protect livelihoods,” he said.
Mulele urged governments to classify water investments as productive capital and integrate them into medium-term expenditure frameworks, climate budgeting and public investment systems.
He also stressed the need to strengthen water utilities, improve governance, reduce losses and mobilise private investment through concessional financing and blended finance models.
“If Africa secures water, Africa secures growth. The focus must now shift from dialogue to delivery,” Mulele said.
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