The Blue Heart of Africa

The Blue Heart of Africa is a framework initiative that will ensure that Africa's freshwater resources are effectively managed and conserved to sustain locally and globally important ecosystems, biodiversity and provide a foundation for sustainable development and secure livelihoods.

Threats to Africa's Freshwater Resources

Water is one of the most important resources with great implications for Africa’s development. However, African natural water resources are facing various threats, including: over-abstraction of water at unsustainable rates, inappropriate infrastructure development, invasive non-native species, land transformation destroying catchment integrity, overfishing, among others.

Our goal is to catalyze new partnerships and transform the way people value rivers to secure the Blue Heart of Africa - conserving biodiverse landscapes, improving food, energy and water security.

Our Solution

The solution consists of four impact pathways and four building blocks underpinning those pathways to ensure regional collaboration and coordination towards achieving desired impact.

Safeguarding the Sources

Catchment management is implemented in critical water source areas, halting catchment degradation to deliver resilient water yields down-stream

Sustainable Freshwater Fisheries

Improved management of fisheries in the Great Lakes (Rift Lakes) has contributed towards 'bending the curve' on Africa's most critical aquatic biodiversity.

Securing Environmental Flows

Environmental flows are implemented in critical river basins in Africa to secure habitats, biodiversity, and livelihoods

Sustainable Infrastructure Development

Sustainable infrastructure for water, energy and food security is developed in critical rivers / water source areas.