With a number of drivers for development within the industrial market, the challenges for water in Africa are extra round implementation than expertise, says Walid Khoury of water engineering agency Desalytics, as he prepares for Water Africa 2024 in Ghana in June.

What are the principle challenges for the water market in Africa?
The problem we see in Africa is on two fronts – in fact the UN’s sustainable improvement aim 6 (SDG6) round proving sanitation and clear water to populations, however what is typically missed is significance of the commercial sector. If industrial manufacturing and manufacturing will not be correctly taken care of, you’ll have the inhabitants competing on water availability, but additionally water high quality, as a result of industrial shoppers might be polluting.

As somebody who has labored within the African marketplace for 17 years, the true problem I’m seeing is the necessity to focus extra on the commercial facet, which represents the most important a part of the answer. First as a result of they’ve the cash to put money into options, secondly as a result of they will contribute extra to sustaining the aquifers round their operations, and in addition, they will use much less water of their operations.

Essentially the most progress might be made by the non-public and public sectors working hand-in-hand, so we are able to get to some extent the place we are able to speak about water abundance fairly than water shortage.

What are the principle drivers in water on the continent and in West Africa particularly?
Africa as a complete is an attention-grabbing market, as are Ghana and West Africa particularly, as a result of you will have all of the dynamics – demographic change, urbanisation and industrialisation, together with a tightening regulatory atmosphere. There’s a fast-growing inhabitants, with many individuals are transferring into the cities, which is inserting extra stress on the aquifers and water high quality and availability.

Then you will have Industrialisation, which suggests greater GDP per capita, so extra individuals have more cash to purchase extra items, which suggests extra manufacturing, which suggests extra competitors for the obtainable water.

On the regulatory facet, stricter measures are being launched and enforced, which additionally provides extra strain on water. So all of the drivers are there and Africa is among the few markets globally the place there are such a lot of drivers working in parallel, serving to the market to develop.

What sorts of options are in demand?
Immediately water engineers and water utilities and industrial end-users all over the world have all of the applied sciences they want of their arsenal. What’s missing in Africa is extra on introduction and implementation of options, so we are able to shift the mindset of what’s attainable.

For giant industrial water customers, the applied sciences which are required to deal with and take a look at water are kind of the identical as these being applied within the extra developed economies, whether or not that’s ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis membranes or water high quality screens. It’s simply availability that’s not there.

Implementing the applied sciences additionally means elevating the capital, the funding, no matter is required to make the expertise obtainable.

Native installers and repair groups additionally want to have the ability to educate shoppers on why they want the expertise, the best way to use it, and the best way to service, fee and preserve it. I’ve seen a lot of circumstances the place some funding was made obtainable and merchandise have been despatched to Africa after which there was no budgeting for spare elements, for observe up, for coaching. after which it finally ends up being a waste of cash.

An important half is to make the talents and applied sciences regionally obtainable and have the ability to help shoppers and assist them regionally. That’s the reason Desalytics was began, to have individuals on the bottom in Africa, who have been from Africa, and understood the cultural and the shopper wants.

What funding sources can be found?
Finance is multifaceted, coming from the World Financial institution, the African Improvement Financial institution and energetic improvement companies like USAID. On high of that you’ve the non-public sector and the buyer. For instance, Ghana Water supplies water to the inhabitants and receives funds from these prospects.

So there’s a mixture of a number of income producing streams, and these are rising and diversifying, which helps the market to develop. World gamers within the meals and beverage sector like Coca-Cola, Diageo and AB InBev are aiming to offset their water consumption by creating initiatives the place they will return water to the aquifer.

They’re making clear water obtainable for home consumption in an effort to increase their very own provides, as a result of they’ve reached the purpose in their very own manufacturing processes the place they can not cut back their water use additional. Breweries requires 3.8 litres of water for a litre of produced beer, so you can not go additional since you want the water to supply beer.

You might be moderating a panel on industrial water within the Water Africa seminar programme – what can delegates anticipate?

Know-how suppliers have been invited to speak about how their options can impression industrial water, however we’re additionally inviting water end-users to be panellists, those that are operating industrial crops and utilities.

These events can change concepts and focus on how firms can optimise their water footprint in industrial settings. Delegates will hear about applied sciences and improvements with case research from Africa, particularly Ghana, so individuals can see that these measures might be launched and applied regionally. They may hear actual circumstances that may be rolled out on the bottom.

What’s the advantage of collaborating in exhibitions and seminar programmes like Water Africa?
Occasions like Water Africa are quite common within the US, Europe and Asia, however we don’t see so lots of them in Africa. Water Africa has been operating for a very long time, so it’s properly established and at all times brings collectively all the important thing gamers. In Ghana that features Ghana Water, the municipalities, the Minister of Surroundings, the colleges – everyone is invited and actively taking part in such occasions, everyone is concerned.

It is extremely vital to have these sorts of occasions when everyone seems to be introduced collectively to share experience, current the most recent choices, discover out what is occurring globally, but additionally regionally, and attempting to see what might be utilized in Ghana, in West Africa. Folks come from throughout the area, and also you share concepts; they will speak to you about their challenges.

It will be important for firms to be current, and to see their involvement as a long-term funding within the area. Constructing relationships is difficult work and it takes time, which is why we’d like occasions like Water Africa, and we’d like them to occur yearly, in order that we are able to construct relationships and construct belief.

What does success seem like for Desalytics?
For Desalytics I measure success by way of the impression we’re making. It’s at all times attainable to exit into the world and promote merchandise for our expertise companions, however real impression ought to be extra about long-lasting measures like what number of engineers we’ve on the bottom, how succesful they’re, what coaching they’re experiencing.

Range issues to me, together with the gender steadiness in our organisation, which includes 55% African girls. When you have the fundamentals coated – succesful native individuals on the bottom, numerous staff, then the whole lot else follows.

Now we have had numerous success by way of bettering membrane operations or different methods operations, or bettering water high quality by way of microbiological measures like E coli, however the principle one is in transferring that information to native engineers. There are many gifted individuals throughout Africa, so it pays to offer them alternatives to begin working in respectable organisations the place they will be taught quite a bit.

I began my very own profession at Nalco, which was fortunate as a result of Nalco has its personal water college. The extra amenities like this we are able to have regionally, offering coaching for individuals to grasp how the applied sciences work in utility – that might be a giant success.

What recommendation would you give to firms getting into the African marketplace for the primary time?
I at all times encourage the multinationals we work with to have a look at Africa, particularly West Africa and Ghana, as a result of development will certainly come from there.

These getting into the African market must search for native firms and companions who perceive the tradition and who might be dependable on the bottom. It is because you additionally must deal with the compliance, and the foreign money danger. As with every market, there are dangers, however when you’ve got the correct native companion, who can meet these shoppers face-to-face, it’s attainable to achieve success.

Total the outlook for sub-Saharan Africa is constructive. It is among the final areas on this planet the place there’s nonetheless numerous work to be executed. So even with out the broader demographic traits and industrialisation, there’s nonetheless a niche, and a must deliver the sub-Saharan area as much as customary by way of water and sanitation, industrial processing and air pollution prevention.

Water Africa 2024 exhibition and seminars are co-located with West Africa Constructing & Development and takes place 26-28 June 2024 in Accra, Ghana. For extra data go to https://www.ace-events.com/.