What is sustainable infrastructure?

In the wake of severe droughts, floods and reduced food production we are experiencing in Africa, we can no longer ignore the contribution infrastructure has to climate change. Yet, infrastructure is a key driver for our progress and central to sustainable economic growth. Investment in infrastructure accounts for over half of the recent improvement in economic growth in Africa and has the potential to achieve even more.

To achieve more economic growth and deliver services that are essential to improve livelihoods and well-being, there is a need for adequate infrastructure. Therefore, it is paramount that infrastructure systems are planned, designed, constructed, operated and decommissioned in a manner that ensures environmental, social and governance sustainability over the entire infrastructure life cycle.

Infrastructure planning and development should align policies and decisions to global development agendas through strategic planning. We ought to focus on cumulative infrastructure Life Cycle Assessment of sustainability and pay attention to resource efficiency and circularity to reduce natural resource footprint, emissions, waste and other pollutants.

Affordability is key due to the limited public funding and can be achieved through innovative financing. Evidence-based decision-making through monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting will aid in delivery of sustainable infrastructure.