The Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA) at the University of Johannesburg, an ICSD Institutional Member, recently submitted a project titled “Beyond Access: Exploring Governance, Inequality, and Emotional Dimensions of Water Insecurity in South Africa” to the NGO Committee for Social Development, as part of a Water Inquiry Project the Committee is running.

Beyond Access contributes directly to global discussions on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), particularly around equitable access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and inclusive water governance. The South component of the project was conducted within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, the project examines the lived experiences of water insecurity in historically marginalised communities, including Motherwell, Zwide, Bethelsdorp, and Uitenhage.

The study was funded under the Canadian The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and moves beyond conventional infrastructure-focused understandings of water access to explore the emotional, social, political, and governance dimensions of water insecurity. Drawing on qualitative and  participatory research methods, the project documents how poor governance, historical inequalities, socio-economic vulnerability, and inadequate service delivery continue to shape everyday experiences of water scarcity.

Importantly, the project also highlights community resilience, activism, and grassroots mobilisation in response to ongoing water challenges. Residents described not only the material effects of water insecurity, but also the stress, anxiety, frustration, and social exclusion associated with unreliable and inadequate water access. These findings demonstrate that water insecurity is not simply a technical or infrastructural issue, but also a deeply social and human challenge linked to dignity, citizenship, and justice.

The CSDA welcomes the opportunity to contribute grassroots perspectives and community voices from South Africa to international policy discussions at the 2026 High-Level Political Forum and the 2026 UN Water Conference. We believe the experiences documented through this project offer important insights into the broader challenges of achieving water justice, inclusive development, and sustainable futures globally.