Face of Truth: Water Security Challenges in Light of the Prime Minister’s Plan
Ibrahim Shaqlawi
Water resource management is considered one of the pillars of stability and sustainable development in Sudan, especially in the post-war phase, which requires a comprehensive restructuring of public service institutions and infrastructure, according to the promising commissioning speech delivered by Prime Minister Dr. Kamil Idris.
Water security is closely linked to public health, agriculture, and energy, and it constitutes a decisive factor in preventing community conflicts and regional disputes. However, Sudan faces recurring challenges in this sector, most notably: unsustainable use of groundwater, infrastructure deterioration, and declining rainfall rates due to climate change (United Nations Environment Programme, 2021). This reality reveals the fragility of the water system and confirms the need for a comprehensive national vision that integrates environmental, developmental, and economic dimensions.
The recent crisis witnessed in Khartoum State after the Rapid Support Forces militia bombed electricity facilities and the Manara water station stopped working, revealed the weakness in managing water crises, especially in the context of armed conflicts. Citizens were forced to resort to unsafe water sources, such as the Nile directly or groundwater wells, which contributed to the spread of epidemic diseases like cholera (Sudanese Ministry of Health, 2025). The risks are not limited to health alone but extend to threatening social peace, especially in Darfur and Kordofan, where seasonal water points turn into tension hotspots between farmers and herders despite water harvesting projects (Dam Implementation Unit, 2019).
Available data indicates that Sudan has about 85 billion cubic meters of renewable water resources annually, mostly from the Nile River, in addition to a groundwater stock estimated at 30 billion cubic meters, a large part of which is non-renewable (Sudanese Ministry of Irrigation, 2022; UNEP, 2021). With a population exceeding 48 million and a growth rate of over 2.5% annually, pressures on these resources are increasing at a worrying pace (World Bank, 2023). The agriculture sector alone consumes nearly 80% of total water (FAO, 2023), highlighting the urgent need to improve efficiency and governance in demand management.
At a time when only 65% of the urban population and less than 40% of rural residents have access to safe drinking water (World Bank, 2023), this reality requires urgent efforts from the concerned authorities to manage these resources according to a comprehensive national plan and policies that enable the country to utilize and manage them safely.
On the other hand, Ethiopia recently launched a comprehensive national water and energy policy spanning twenty years, based on the principles of justice, partnership with the private sector, and good governance. This step reflects a strategic shift in the state’s understanding of water as a sovereign and developmental resource (Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy, 2025). This policy was prepared with wide participation from civil society, the private sector, and government entities, representing a model that can be benefited from while considering Sudan’s institutional and social specificities.
As for Sudan, in the absence of an integrated national water strategy, the country remains vulnerable to worsening the crisis, especially with the expected impacts of Nile Basin countries’ projects, foremost of which is the Renaissance Dam, representing a direct challenge to water flow. With the lack of effective regional coordination and stalled negotiations between Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt, Sudan’s position remains weak, with no common vision reached on the dam’s management, operation, and integrated benefit.
The current phase imposes on the Sudanese government the necessity to formulate a strategic national water policy based on an accurate assessment of available resources, an in-depth study of supply and demand reality, enhancing benefits, and rehabilitating infrastructure through relevant entities. This policy should also be integrated within the renaissance, peace, and recovery programs led by the Prime Minister, ensuring that water security becomes a pillar of stability through adopting integrated policies for water resource management in line with climate change. The current rainy season is an indicator of these changes, as data shows Sudan is among the countries most affected by climate (General Authority of Meteorology).
According to what we see from #Face_of_Truth, achieving water security in Sudan cannot be separated from the government’s project or the social and regional peace system. If water policies are not built on integrated strategic foundations that anticipate challenges and benefit from neighboring experiences, the country will remain hostage to repeated crises that undermine development efforts and reproduce crises. Water today is no longer just a resource but has become a fundamental gateway to stability, reconstruction, and development.
Wishing you well and good health.
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Shglawi55@gmail.com