A Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Industrial Water Use in African Countries

Africa’s industries have been developing at a pace more rapid than other continents, including Asia, over the past two to three decades. This research investigated the industrial water use in 1987–2017 in twenty major African countries, representing 77% of the population and 81% of the GDP in Africa. A decoupling analysis of industrial water use from economic growth was also carried out, and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was conducted. The key findings included the following: (i) HCA could divide the patterns of the countries’ water use into four groups. The group of Algeria, Tunisia, Angola, and Morocco exhibited the highest average industrial water use per capita in 2017. (ii) An expansive negative decoupling became more significant during the 10-year period from 2008 to 2017. (iii) Population growth, economic development, and industrial structure played a prominent role in driving industrial water use over the past two decades. (iv) Technological advancements in water conservation varied across countries and periods. Some countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Egypt, and Tunisia, witnessed a more rapid increase in water withdrawal from 2008 to 2017, but less significant progress in water-saving technologies. This research might be informative for decision-makers to formulate sustainable water policies in line with Africa’s sustainable agenda by the year of 2063.