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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 2 (AUGUST 2025) | Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources

Coordinated and published by The Grassroots Institute, the Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources (GJNR) is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancements in natural resources throughout the world. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists, social scientists, policy analysts, managers and practitioners (on all academic and professional levels) all over the world to promote, discuss and share various new issues and developments in different arenas of natural resources.

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 2 (AUGUST 2025)

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M – 00550Research Article

Water Insecurity and Development Cooperation: Hungary’s Engagement in Africa

Zoltán Ködmön

Department of International Studies and Communication, Széchenyi István University, Győr, Hungary.

Email: kodmon.zoltan@sze.hu | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0975-1732

Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 1-27. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080201

Received: 07 April 2025

Reviewed: 05 June 2025

Provisionally Accepted: 10 June 2025

Revised: 22 April 2025

Finally Accepted: 06 July 2025

Published: 21 August 2025


                                    

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ABSTRACT

The Sustainable Development Report 2023 showed that 2.2 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water in 2022, with 703 million unable to access even basic services. In addition to this, the Afrobarometer’s 2024 survey indicated that Sub-Saharan Africa water supply was ranked among the top governance challenges in 39 surveyed countries. This study explores regional and urban–rural disparities in access to drinking water, while also assessing the scope and geography of Hungary’s water-related development cooperation on the continent. The methodology combines quantitative indicators from the UNICEF–WHO Joint Monitoring Programme with geospatial visualization techniques. The analysis reveals substantial inequalities in rural Eastern Africa, over 97 million people rely on surface water or unimproved sources, while Middle Africa reports more than 55 million in the same categories. In contrast, urban areas in Northern Africa show significantly better outcomes, with over 111 million having access to safely managed drinking water. These figures highlight persistent spatial divides and the critical need for targeted investment in rural service provision. Hungarian development engagement was examined through project records from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, alongside publicly available data from Hungarian NGOs and private sector actors. The study finds that Hungary has contributed to water-related initiatives in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, and Uganda, but has had limited involvement in other severely affected countries, including Niger (31% unsafe access), Madagascar (42%), and the Central African Republic (37%). This study addresses a significant research gap since the intersection of Hungarian development cooperation and African water security has received minimal scholarly attention to date. By offering a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of both African water access and Hungary’s related foreign engagement, the research contributes to the understanding of potential synergies and future avenues for international collaboration in this field.

Keywords

International development; Sustainability; Water development; Water security

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HOW TO CITE THIS PAPER?
Harvard Style

Ködmön, Z. (2025). Water Insecurity and Development Cooperation: Hungary’s Engagement in Africa. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 1-27. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080201

APA Style

Ködmön, Z. (2025). Water Insecurity and Development Cooperation: Hungary’s Engagement in Africa. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080201

ACS Style

Ködmön Z. Water Insecurity and Development Cooperation: Hungary’s Engagement in Africa. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2025, 8 (2), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080201

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ködmön, Zoltán. 2025. “Water Insecurity and Development Cooperation: Hungary’s Engagement in Africa”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 no. 2: 1-27. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080201

AAA Style

Ködmön, Zoltán. 2025. “Water Insecurity and Development Cooperation: Hungary’s Engagement in Africa”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 (2): 1-27. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080201

ABSTRACTING LINKS
Crossref: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080201
EuroPub: https://www.europub.co.uk/articles/775071
Scilit: https://www.scilit.com/publications/edaa59a4ef5e2d008ce94e6b563af98b
Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/144220794/Water_Insecurity_and_Development_Cooperation_Hungary_s_Engagement_in_Africa
Dimensions:
ZENODO: https://zenodo.org/records/17293765
OpenAIRE: https://explore.openaire.eu/search/result?pid=10.33002/nr2581.6853.080201
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/document/1000722242/Water-Insecurity-and-Development-Cooperation-Hungary-s-Engagement-in-Africa
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394842499_Water_Insecurity_and_Development_Cooperation_Hungary's_Engagement_in_Africa
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Water+Insecurity+and+Development+Cooperation%3A+Hungary%E2%80%99s+Engagement+in+Africa&btnG=

ARCHIVE & REPOSITORY LINKS
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WorldCat: https://search.worldcat.org/title/10963188672

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