Ladan, M.T.Okukpon, IrekpitanMaduekwe, N.C.2025-01-232025-01-282025-01-232025-01-282024-09-02Muhammed T Ladan, Irekpitan Okukpon & Nkiruka Chidia Maduekwe (2024) Realising Sustainable Access to Water and Sanitation in Africa: Role of Critical Institutions. In: Leal Filho W, Abubakar IR, da Silva I et al (Eds) SDGs in Africa and the Middle East Region (Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals - Regional Perspectives). Switzerland : Springer Cham. Pp 1309-1332.RMSID:22888http://hdl.handle.net/10454/20220NoThe current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report reemphasises the fact that the African continent is particularly vulnerable to the disastrous impact of climate change. The Report highlights the urgent need for countries to adopt critical strategies towards ensuring the actualisation of 1.5 C temperature. Based on low adaptive strategies and geographical location, the impacts of climate change further exacerbate the inherent environmental challenges of the African continent, more so, the struggle to attain poverty-eradication. One of the adverse impacts of climate change is reducing access to water, thus increasing the burden on already water scarce African countries such as South Africa and Nigeria. In cognizance of the fact that access to water and sanitation is critical towards poverty eradication and realising the kind of continent that Africans want by 2063, African countries are increasingly adopting several measures to ensure citizens’ access to water. Taking a regional approach, this paper examines the current institutions and legal framework adopted by regional bodies in Africa, namely the South African Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), proffering a practical template that States in sub-Saharan Africa can adopt to resolve this challenge of lack of access to clean, safe drinking water and basic sanitation. The chapter also discusses the existence of an adequate enforcement mechanism that ensures and provides the platform for citizens to assert and protect their right to access clean water and sanitation. Furthermore, the chapter’s focus on South Africa and Nigeria, analyses the extent to which regional frameworks are being adopted, implemented, and sustained at the national level, proffering recommendations which can be adopted by other countries within the sub-Saharan African region.enCritical institutioinsSustainable Development GoalsSDGsAccessWaterSanitationBook chapterUnspecified2025-01-23