Sustainable water infrastructure and climate resilience in Africa: PRISMA systematic review with VOSviewer quantitative analysis.

Africa faces critical water security challenges from climate-induced droughts, floods, urbanization and weak infrastructure. These challenges underscore the urgent need for resilient water systems to protect livelihoods and promote sustainable development. The aim of the study is to systematically review scholarly publications on sustainable water infrastructure and climate resilience using bibliometric and qualitative analysis. The objectives of the study include mapping the research output, collaboration networks and thematic analysis to provide insights aligned with SDGs 6 and 13 to different stakeholders to guide them in strengthening climate-resilient water systems across the continent. Records from January 2016 to July 2026 were screened for eligibility with 99 publications retained for analysis. VOSviewer software version 1.6.20 was used for bibliometric analysis to identify keyword co-occurrence, co-authorship networks, citation patterns and thematic clusters. Research output shows a sharp increase in recent years (2023-2025) with publications peaking in 2025 with nearly one third of all records. The co-authorship network reveals that South Africa emerges as the main hub in research on the topic, with strong links to both regional and international collaborators. This highlights the role of international cooperation in tackling Africa’s climate and water challenges. The dominant keywords from the analysis were climate change, followed by resilience and adaptation. Strong links exist between water and food security, vulnerability and drought management highlighting practical concerns. This review highlights the growing scholarly focus on climate-resilient water infrastructure across Africa with sustainable systems recognized as central to adaptation efforts. However, progress is hindered by rural systems financing, institutional barriers and limited integration of indigenous knowledge. Future research should prioritize expanding localized research in underrepresented regions. Integrating socio-technical and policy frameworks will be essential to build equitable, transformative climate-resilient water infrastructure across Africa.