How will water scarcity shape the future of cities, migration, and global stability?

From climate change to migration, the African water crisis is deeply connected to global challenges — and global solutions.

In the final episode of this series, we explore why water scarcity is not just a regional issue, but a global one. We unpack the legacy of extractive systems, the role of youth and local leadership, and the urgency of declaring not just a climate emergency, but a water emergency.

Through the lens of the TransAfrica Pipeline, we ask: what does global responsibility look like in a time of water crisis — and what can we do to build a more secure, just, and caring future?

Guest: Dr. Rod Tennyson & Dr. Romila Verma

Series: How the Trans Africa Pipeline (TAP) Can Solve the Sahel Region’s Water Crisis

What if water infrastructure could do more than deliver clean drinking water — what if it could transform economies, support food security, reduce climate migration, and unite communities across borders?

In this 3-part series, Urban Limitrophe explores the story of the TransAfrica Pipeline (TAP) — a visionary project to bring clean, desalinated water across the Sahel through a 7,000-kilometre pipeline powered by renewable energy. Through conversations with co-founders Dr. Rod Tennyson and Dr. Romila Verma, we unpack how water connects to everything: agriculture, innovation, migration, environmental justice, and community resilience.

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-supported by the Nurubian, the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning.

About Urban Limitrophe:

Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes, references and guest details.

To access social media, newsletter, and additional projects visit: https://linktr.ee/urbanlimitrophe

Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com

Credits:

Music by Imany Lambropoulos

Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos

Why do some water systems work— and others fail?

Successful water infrastructure isn’t just about engineering. There’s a hidden social side — shaped by governance, culture, and power — that often determines whether systems actually work, or get built at all.

In this second episode, beyond the technical side of infrastructure to explore the social, ethical, and ecological dimensions of water access. Dr. Verma introduces her Four Pillars of Water Sustainability — science, governance, economics, and cultural connection — and we explore how these ideas can reshape how cities, towns, and regions manage water today. From sponge cities to sacred rivers, we discuss why collaboration and care are at the heart of any truly sustainable water system.

Guest: Dr. Rod Tennyson & Dr. Romila Verma

Series: How the Trans Africa Pipeline (TAP) Can Solve the Sahel Region’s Water Crisis

What if water infrastructure could do more than deliver clean drinking water — what if it could transform economies, support food security, reduce climate migration, and unite communities across borders?

In this 3-part series, Urban Limitrophe explores the story of the TransAfrica Pipeline (TAP) — a visionary project to bring clean, desalinated water across the Sahel through a 7,000-kilometre pipeline powered by renewable energy. Through conversations with co-founders Dr. Rod Tennyson and Dr. Romila Verma, we unpack how water connects to everything: agriculture, innovation, migration, environmental justice, and community resilience.

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-supported by the Nurubian, the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning.

About Urban Limitrophe:

Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes, references and guest details.

To access social media, newsletter, and additional projects visit: https://linktr.ee/urbanlimitrophe

Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com

Credits:

Music by Imany Lambropoulos

Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos

What if water infrastructure could do more than deliver clean drinking water — what if it could transform economies, support food security, reduce climate migration, and unite communities across borders?

In this 3-part series, Urban Limitrophe explores the story of the TransAfrica Pipeline (TAP) — a visionary project to bring clean, desalinated water across the Sahel through a 7,000-kilometre pipeline powered by renewable energy. Through conversations with co-founders Dr. Rod Tennyson and Dr. Romila Verma, we unpack how water connects to everything: agriculture, innovation, migration, environmental justice, and community resilience.

TAP is more than a pipeline — it’s a call to imagine water systems built with care, innovation, and the future in mind.

Guest: Dr. Rod Tennyson & Dr. Romila Verma

Episode 1: How to Build a Continent-Sized Water System

How do you build a continent-sized water system?

In this episode, we explore what it takes to design a 7,000-kilometre pipeline to bring clean water across one of the driest regions in the world. Co-founders Dr. Rod Tennyson and Dr. Romila Verma share the origin story of the TransAfrica Pipeline (TAP) — a visionary infrastructure project that combines solar-powered desalination, salt recovery, and lightweight materials to deliver sustainable water access across the Sahel. From technical design to big-picture ambition, we dive into how TAP was engineered — and how it could change lives on a continental scale.

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-supported by the Nurubian, the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning.

About Urban Limitrophe:

Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes, references and guest details.

To access social media, newsletter, and additional projects visit: https://linktr.ee/urbanlimitrophe

Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com

Credits:

Music by Imany Lambropoulos

Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos