Water stress and sustainability challenges: Evidence from sub‐Saharan Africa

Abstract

Sub‐Saharan Africa is considered one of the hotspots most likely to be affected by water problems due to the region's heavy reliance on agriculture. This study has three objectives. First, it aims to assess the driving factors that influence environmental performance in Sub‐Saharan countries. Second, it investigates the impact of water scarcity on sustainable development in sub‐Saharan nations by utilizing available data on the environmental performance index (EPI) from 2000 to 2010, which is the only complete and accessible time series. Third, it seeks to identify the effect of carbon dioxide emissions on the EPI. To achieve these objectives, the study employs an empirical dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach and a panel of selected countries in sub‐Saharan Africa to examine long‐term equilibrium and short‐term adjustments. The results indicate a positive correlation between population growth and EPI in Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, and South Africa. In the long term, the population coefficient exhibits a negative and significant relationship with EPI. Maternal mortality rates were found to have 1% relevance, while health spending was deemed irrelevant. Both carbon emissions and the proportion of the population with improved water sources had a negative and significant impact on the environmental index. The findings underscore the conflicts between water demand and other explanatory variables on water stress in sub‐Saharan countries. Thus, the study recommends the urgent formulation of regional policies to effectively safeguard future generations from the threat of water poverty.