Africa

Africa faces many challenges. While dealing with a fast growing urban population, the continent’s rural areas are still constrained by some of the world’s lowest levels of access to water and sanitation. Vulnerable to climate change and with large disparities in water availability, the continent is prone to both droughts and floods. Africa has over 80 major transboundary lakes and rivers so the need to manage water across borders is an aspect that adds even more complexity to the equation. To meet these challenges, there are many promising examples in Africa to learn from, and the World Water Week will focus on a number of these through workshops, seminars and side events. 


Facts:

• Africa has large disparities in water availability, and the lowest water supply and sanitation coverage in the world. (UNESCO, 2003)

• According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the African continent is the most vulnerable to climate change.

• The overall economic loss in Africa alone due to lack of access to safe water and basic sanitation is estimated at $28.4 billion a year, or around 5% of GDP. (WHO, 2006)

• The urban population in Africa is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. (UNFPA, 2007)

• Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania are the who only regions in the world not on track to meet the Millenium Development Goals on drinking water (WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, 2008)

• Some 1.4 million children die each year from preventable diarrhoeal diseases. Ordinary diarrhoea remains the major killer among water-, sanitation- and hygienerelated diseases, contributing to 43% of deaths. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are the most affected regions. (Prüss-Üstün, A., R. Bos, F. Gore, and J. Bartram, 2008. Safer Water, Better Health)

• Some African countries have been making rapid progress in drinking water coverage. For example, Tanzania was only 38% covered in 1990, and in 2002 was 73% covered; Namibia was 58% covered in 1990, and in 2002 was 80% covered. (WHO, 2004)