By 2050, 60% of global economic growth and 70% of global population growth are expected to occur in the Global South – with Africa playing a significant role in driving these changes. But this increase in population and economic activity affects how water and other natural resources are managed and allocated to ensure both sustained economic development and fair access across different sectors, argues UCT’s Professor of Economics, Professor Djiby Thiam.
It also influences the investment needed for water-related infrastructure and wastewater treatment plants.
Professor Thiam will deliver his inaugural lecture – “The economics of water and climate resilience: Lessons learned from African experiences” – this Thursday, 30 July at 17:00 SAST in the School of Economics Seminar Room, Level 4, School of Economics Building, middle campus. Prof Thiam is the director of the Water and Production Economics Research Unit in the Faculty of Commerce at UCT.
“Over the past two decades, nearly 80% of the world’s economic growth has occurred in the Global South, with China and India leading the way and many African countries among the fastest-growing economies in the early 2010s,” Prof Thiam says. “Many of the natural resources vital to the world economy, particularly those at risk of depletion or degradation in quality, are also located in countries of the Global South – including South Africa and several other African nations.”
In this lecture, Prof Thiam will examine how effective and context-specific environmental policies can help integrate sustainable water management with climate change mitigation. Drawing on evidence from several African countries, he will explore the relationship between water planning and management, climate resilience, and economic performance.
“There is a need to develop more holistic and informed approaches to the economics of water resources management that reflect the growing concerns and challenges faced by the Global South,” he says.
The lecture will consider how water resource management affects productivity across sectors such as agriculture and industry, while addressing challenges related to water scarcity, environmental hazards, and climate change. It will also examine how technologies, institutions and public policy can support sustainable development in regions with diverse socio-institutional contexts.
Prof Thiam will argue that many conventional environmental economic frameworks were developed within industrialised economies, and that changing global realities require new approaches that better reflect the experiences and governance structures of countries in Africa and the Global South.
Internationally, Prof Thiam is recognised for his work in environmental and resource economics. His research focuses on water economics, agricultural economics, and development economics. He has led major research collaborations across Africa and internationally and has advised organisations including the African Union, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the United Nations.
His work continues to shape policy discussions on water governance, climate resilience, and sustainable development while supporting the development of emerging scholars across the continent.