From Madrid to N’Djamena: Water Security as Sudan’s Gateway to Recovery and Development

Dr Ammar Abkar Abdullah
At a time when climate, economic and humanitarian challenges are accelerating across the globe, attention is increasingly turning to water as one of the most critical drivers of development and stability in the twenty-first century. Water is no longer viewed merely as a basic service or a natural resource whose role is confined to meeting the daily needs of populations. It has become a central pillar of food security, public health, energy production, investment, and social and political stability.
This shift was clearly reflected at the Global Water Summit, held in Madrid, Spain, from 18 to 20 May 2026. A key feature of the summit was the launch of the World Bank Group’s new Water Forward initiative, a global vision aimed at strengthening water security for more than 400 million people directly and, through partnerships, reaching over one billion people by 2030. Discussions in Madrid underscored that achieving water security is no longer solely the responsibility of the water sector; it has become an integral component of countries’ economic development and investment agendas.
This vision will move to the African continent next month through the African Water Forum, to be hosted in N’Djamena, Chad, on 15–16 July 2026 under the theme “From Vision to Action.” The forum seeks to adopt a roadmap for investment in water security and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH+) services, while mobilising the political commitment and financial resources required to accelerate progress towards water security across Africa. Particular emphasis will be placed on institutional reform, strengthening governance, mobilising public and private investment, and supporting regional cooperation within shared river basins.
The importance of this forum stems from the fact that Africa continues to face significant challenges in the water sector. According to World Bank and United Nations data, more than 400 million people across the continent still lack access to basic drinking water services, while over 700 million lack basic sanitation services. Estimates suggest that if these conditions persist, some African regions could suffer economic losses of up to 6 per cent of GDP due to the impacts of water scarcity and inadequate water and sanitation services on health, productivity and investment.
For Sudan, these international developments deserve particular attention. Despite possessing substantial surface and groundwater resources and occupying a strategic position within the Nile Basin, the country’s water sector faced serious challenges even before the outbreak of war in April 2023. Reports from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme highlighted significant gaps in access to safely managed drinking water and improved sanitation services, particularly in rural and peripheral areas. Many urban centres were also experiencing growing pressure on water supply systems due to rapid population growth, inadequate investment and declining maintenance and rehabilitation efforts.
With the outbreak of war, these challenges have intensified to an unprecedented degree. Water facilities, electricity infrastructure, pumping stations and other essential services have sustained both direct and indirect damage in several states. At the same time, large-scale internal displacement has placed additional pressure on services in towns and host communities. The United Nations and humanitarian organisations have repeatedly warned of increasing risks of waterborne diseases, including cholera and acute watery diarrhoea, amid the deterioration of water and sanitation services.
Yet the challenge facing Sudan today extends far beyond rebuilding water treatment plants or repairing damaged networks. More fundamentally, it lies in establishing strong and effective institutions capable of leading the water sector through the phases of recovery and reconstruction. The international experience promoted by the World Bank through the Water Forward initiative demonstrates that finance alone is not enough. Major investments flow only where effective institutions exist, supported by clear policies, stable legal frameworks and coordination mechanisms capable of translating plans into tangible results.
This underscores the importance of preserving and strengthening specialised national institutions responsible for water resources management, drinking water and sanitation services, and enabling them to fulfil their roles in planning, coordination and implementation. It also highlights the need to integrate water issues with broader development priorities, including agriculture, energy, health and environmental sustainability. Equally important is the development of a comprehensive national vision for water security that places water at the centre of economic recovery, reconstruction and social stability.
In this context, Sudan’s participation in regional and international water forums is no longer a diplomatic luxury or a purely ceremonial exercise. It has become a strategic necessity. Such platforms provide valuable opportunities to monitor emerging global trends, build partnerships, identify financing and investment opportunities, and exchange expertise and successful experiences.
Even if current circumstances make full official participation difficult, Sudan’s embassies and diplomatic missions should play a more active role in monitoring and attending these events whenever possible, even in an observer capacity. They should prepare professional analytical reports on the discussions, outcomes, and recommendations emerging from these forums and submit them, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to the relevant national authorities. Such efforts would help ensure that Sudanese institutions remain connected to the latest international and regional developments in the fields of water and development.
What is taking place today between Madrid and N’Djamena reflects a significant transformation in the global understanding of water. Water is no longer viewed simply as a service sector; it has become a common language linking economic growth, investment, development, stability and regional cooperation. Sudan, with its abundant resources, accumulated expertise and strategic geographical position, has a genuine opportunity to benefit from these shifts—provided it succeeds in strengthening its institutions, developing a coherent national vision for water security, and linking that vision to the broader agenda of recovery, reconstruction and sustainable development.
Water security is no longer merely a technical issue reserved for specialists. It has become a national concern that touches the future of the state, society and the economy. More than ever before, Sudan’s path towards recovery and development may well pass through the gateway of water security.

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