at Google ScholarTitle data
Jahn, Eileen:
Atmospheric Alchemy: Rethinking Paradigms of Water Abundance and Extraction.
In: McQuaid, Katie ; Crawford, Neil J. W. ; Mare, Admire ; Nanduddu, Susan
(ed.):
Climate Justice in Action : Activism and Adaptation in Eastern Africa. -
Bristol
: Bristol University Press
,
2026
. - pp. 70-80
ISBN 9781529247459
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56687/9781529247473-010
Abstract in another language
This commentary examines the social, economic and environmental impacts of water scarcity in Eastern Africa, particularly on marginalized communities. It underscores the crucial role of water in human health, agriculture and global geopolitics, while addressing the worsening effects of climate change, such as prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall. The text introduces innovative solutions like Majik Water, an air-to-water technology developed by Kenyan entrepreneur Beth Koigi and her team, which harnesses atmospheric moisture to generate clean drinking water using solar energy – a decentralized approach particularly suited to off-grid areas. While highlighting the potential of technological solutions, the contribution critiques over-reliance on them, emphasizing systemic challenges, such as governance, infrastructure shortcomings and equitable resource distribution. It places these innovations within broader socio-political contexts, including colonial legacies of resource exploitation and current concerns around commodification and environmental sustainability. The chapter advocates for a paradigm shift in humanity’s relationship with natural resources, calling for ethical frameworks that balance technological progress, environmental conservation and socio-economic justice. Ultimately, it emphasizes the importance of integrating localized, sustainable solutions with systemic reforms to secure equitable access to water as a universal human right.
Further data
| Item Type: | Article in a book |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Keywords: | water; extraction; colonial histories |
| Institutions of the University: | Faculties > Faculty of Cultural Studies > Former Professors > Chair Epistomologies of the global South - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni |
| Result of work at the UBT: | No |
| DDC Subjects: | 300 Social sciences 300 Social sciences > 300 Social sciences, sociology and anthropology |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Jan 2026 08:43 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Jan 2026 08:43 |
| URI: | https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/95789 |