How Many People In Africa Lack Clean Drinking Water

Africa

Water'south crucial function in accomplishing the continent'south development goals is widely recognized. Africa faces endemic poverty, food insecurity and pervasive underdevelopment, with about all countries lacking the human, economical and institutional capacities to effectively develop and manage their water resources sustainably. Thus, a large number of countries on the continent still face huge challenges in attempting to achieve the United Nations water-related Millennium Evolution Goals (MDGs) .

Access to water

Northern Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa fifty-fifty though in one continent, have made unlike levels of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal on water. North Africa has 92% coverage and is on rails to see its 94% target before 2015. However, Sub-Saharan Africa experiences a contrasting case with xl% of the 783 million people without admission to an improved source of drinking water from the region. Sub-Saharan Africa is off track from meeting the MDG on water with simply 61% water coverage and with the electric current pace cannot reach the 75% target ready for the region.

An analysis of data from 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (representing 84% of the region'due south population) shows significant differences between the poorest and richest fifths of the population in both rural and urban areas. Over 90% of the richest quintile in urban areas utilise improved water sources, and over sixty% accept piped water on premises. In rural areas, piped-in water is non-existent in the poorest 40% of households, and less than half of the population utilize any form of improved source of water.

Drinking water coverage by wealth quintiles, urban and rural residence, sub-Saharan Africa, based on population-weight averages from 35 countries (percentage).

Access to sanitation

Africa is i of the two major regions with the least improvement in accomplishing the MDG on sanitation by 2015. Despite the fact that North Africa has 90% coverage, Sub-Saharan Africa has a startling 30% coverage with only a 4% increase from 1990. This is a serious business organisation because of the associated massive health burden equally many people who lack basic sanitation engage in unsanitary activities like open up defecation, solid waste product disposal and wastewater disposal. The exercise of open up defecation is the primary crusade of faecal oral transmission of diseasewith children being the most vulnerable.

Africa as a whole, especially Sub-Saharan Africa despite efforts and approaches to extend and sustain water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems and services has led to dissimilar health complications leading to decease within the region. The water and sanitation position in Westward/Key Africa is of particular urgency, as the region has the highest under-ﬁve mortality rate of all developing regions: 191 kid deaths per 1,000 alive births. Recurrent outbreaks of cholera in both urban and rural areas underline the poor state of this region's basic living weather.

Driving forces and pressures

Population growth and rural-urban migration

Africa's ascension population is driving demand for water and accelerating the degradation of h2o resources in many countries on the continent. Amongst developing regions, Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to accept the highest prevalence of urban slums and it is expected to double to effectually 400 meg by 2020. Despite the efforts of some Sub-Saharan African countries and cities to expand basic services and ameliorate urban housing weather. Rapid and unplanned urban growth has increased the number of settlements on unstable, flood-prone, and high-run a risk land where phenomena such as landslides, rains, and earthquakes have devastating consequences.

Economic development and poverty

Sub-Saharan Africa is the earth'southward poorest and least developed region, with half its population living on less than a dollar a twenty-four hours. About two-thirds of its countries rank amongst the lowest in the Man Development Index. Even when opportunities exist to address outstanding water issues, deep and widespread poverty across the African region constrains the ability of many cities and communities to provide proper water and sanitation services, sufficient water for economic activities and to foreclose h2o quality from deteriorating.

Challenges, risks and uncertainties

Finance and h2o management

Africa faces a situation of economic h2o scarcity, and electric current institutional, financial and human capacities for managing water are defective. The situation is exacerbated by competition for public funding between sectors, and heavy public debt burdens in nigh countries.
In Africa, financing is insufficient and the institutional chapters to absorb what is available is limited. The danger of slippage to already made progress against the MDG on h2o and sanitation is existent. About countries within the continent are falling short to sustainWater Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) commitments, with over 80% of countries reportedly falling significantly behind the trends required to meet their defined national access targets for sanitation and drinking-water. There is insufficient domestic financing for Launder overall with particularly serious shortfalls for sanitation. This is exacerbated past difficulties in spending the limited funds that are received.

Lack of coordination

I other challenge Africa faces is lack of coordination among authorities, stemming from an unclear definition of roles and responsibilities, coupled with lack of harmonization of laws and policies related to environmental management. Inadequate staffing in government departments that handles environmental issues is another factor in the downward trend in environmental sustainability in some countries inside the continent.

Varied climate and natural hazards

Africa'due south climate is characterized past extremes, from a humid equatorial climate at the equator, through tropical and semi-arid in the center of the region, to an arid climate towards the northern and southern fringes. Sub-Saharan Africa has a relatively plentiful supply of rainwater, but it is highly seasonal, unevenly distributed across the region and there are frequent floods and droughts. Drought is the ascendant climate risk in sub-Saharan Africa. Information technology destroys economic livelihoods and farmers food sources and has a significant negative effect on Gross Domestic Product (Gross domestic product) growth in one-third of the countries.

Progress then far

In 2010, the share of the urban population with access to an improved water source ranged from 52% (Islamic republic of mauritania) to 100% (Egypt, Republic of mauritius, Niger and Seychelles). The number of countries with at least 80% access to an improved water source in urban areas climbed from 26% in 1990 to 38% in 2010. In 2010, no country had a coverage rate of less than 50%, an comeback from 4 countries with less than 50% coverage in 1990. Coverage varied widely in 2010, from 7% in Somalia to 99% in Mauritius. The number of countries for which rural access was 80% or more rose from 5% in 1990 to 10% in 2010. Other good news was that the number of countries with less than 50% coverage savage from 27% to xvi%.

Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility is generally low – only 40% in 2010 and an increase of only 5 percentage points from 1990. As with improved drinking water supply, admission to sanitation facilities shows a sharp contrast in urban and rural areas – in 2010, 54% and only 31%, respectively. However – again as with improved drinking water supply – urban areas actually recorded a decline in coverage from 1990's 57%, and over again this tin can be attributed to the high proportion of slum dwellers in a fast expanding urban population. Rural areas saw slight progress, up from 25% in 1990.

In 2011, African countries reported noun political commitments to WASH, increasing funding allocations, and leadership and coordination amidst implementing agencies. The majorities of countries take established transparent WASH service provision targets and have put in place supporting policies, and many monitor against these targets. Countries also confirm that the rights to water and sanitation are increasingly adopted in laws or policies.

Several countries have also committed to meeting their commitments made under other initiatives; for case, Ethiopia has developed a plan to meet its sanitation commitment in line with the eThekwini Declaration.The Africa H2o Vision 2025 has been adopted past African governments, the New Partnership for Africa's Evolution and the African Marriage. This is evidence of a new focus on water and, potentially, better-targeted investment and more than efficient water direction.

Did you lot know?

Africa is the globe´southward second-driest continent after Australia.
Virtually 66% of Africa is barren or semi-arid and more than 300 of the 800 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alive in a h2o-scarce surroundings – pregnant that they have less than 1,000 m3 per capita per year.
115 people in Africa die every hour from diseases linked to poor sanitation, poor hygiene and contaminated water.
35% of Water and Sanitation aid commitment on MDG goes to Africa with Sub-Saharan having 27% of the financial allocation.
In Africa, specially sub-Saharan Africa, more a quarter of the population spends more than one-half an 60 minutes per round trip to collect water.
Africa'south rising population is driving demand for water and accelerating the degradation of water resources. By mid-2011, Africa'due south population (excluding the northern-most states) was around 838 million and its average natural rate of increase was 2.6% per yr, compared to the world average of i.2%. By one estimate its population will grow to 1,245 million past 2025 and to 2,069 1000000 past 2050.
The urban slum population in sub-Saharan African countries is expected to double to 400 meg past 2020 if governments do not take immediate and radical action.

Un initiatives which are helping to raise the consequence...

Man values in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education Programme (HVWSHE)
UN-Habitat has implemented the HVWSHE programme, as office of the H2o for African and Asian Cities Programmes, to impart information on water, sanitation and hygiene and also inspire and motivate learners to change their behaviour and adopt attitudes that promote hygienic living and wise and sustainable use of water.
Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative
In 2004, UN-Habitat, in association with the Governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda launched a major initiative to accost the water and sanitation needs of the population, peculiarly the poor, in the secondary urban centres effectually Lake Victoria. The Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative (LVWATSAN) is supporting participating governments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals for water supply and sanitation, with accent on innovative solutions and speedy commitment.
Water and Sanitation Trust Fund (WSTF)
The WSTF, which was established in 2003, aims to leverage new investment and ideas to expand the water and sanitation (WATSAN) service coverage for poor urban dwellers and help build momentum for achieving the Millennium Evolution Goals (MDGs) with a strategic program for 2008-2012.
H2o for African Cities
The Water for African Cities Programme, initiated in December 1999, facilitates the adoption of measures to ensure access to environmentally sound water and sanitation service provision to the unserved, as well equally improved access for underserved populations of the target cities. Through demonstration projects and capacity edifice interventions carried out in collaboration with national partners, regional and international fiscal institutions, the plan supports water supply and sanitation utilities, local governments, NGOs and communities to leverage resources for scaling up and replication at the state level.
Water and Sanitation Plan (WSP): Economic Sanitation Initiative-Africa
Launched in 2007, the WSP Economical Sanitation Initiative in Africa draws attention to how good sanitation policies and practices tin can underpin socio-economic development and environmental protection by an estimation of economic impacts on populations without access to improved sanitation in guild to provide information on the losses to society of the current sanitation situation.

To know more

Mainstreaming Gender in the Irrigation Development Support Programme - Case Study Republic of zambia
Globe Bank. February 2014
This example study describes the integration of women producers into agricultural investment programs in Zambia equally well as how women'southward right to land influences women as it relates to the Irrigation Development Back up Plan (IDSP) in Republic of zambia. The study discusses the projects aim to develop irrigated agricultural land managed by smallholders, including emergent farmers and making sufficient water available to back up big-scale commercial operations. Information technology is comprised of two interlinked studies, the first in the internal paper "Integrating Women Producers and Their Organizations into Agronomical Investment Programmes in Republic of zambia (and Republic of mali)" and a follow-up report entitled "Women'south Land Ownership and Compensation Report in Zambia."

Do pro-poor policies increase water coverage? An analysis of service commitment in Kampala's informal settlements
World Bank. January 2014
This study examines the extent to which the national public h2o authority responsible for service delivery in Uganda'due south towns and cities - National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) - has been implementing a raft of policies explicitly focused on improving delivery of services to the urban poor. The report assesses the impact of pro-poor measures implemented by NWSC in Kampala since 2004, identifies the key factors that affected the outcomes of these policies and strategies, proposes areas for improvement, and identifies lessons that can exist learned and shared from the experience in Uganda. The master purpose of the case written report is to expand the telescopic and increase the effectiveness of NWSC'southward pro-poor policy which is described in the summary. The report is divided into the following six chapters: chapter one gives the introduction of the written report and presents the objectives and methods used. Chapter two presents an overview of the water sector in Kampala, including the legal, institutional, and regulatory framework, a definition of poverty in Kampala and what this means for poor households. Chapter iii describes the urban water sector policy and the strategy developed past the NWSC to expand services and improve financial operation. Chapter 4 analyzes in detail the touch on of NWSC policies and water supply delivery mechanisms on services to poor households in Kampala. Chapter v contains the conclusions of the study. Chapter six contains recommendations for further analysis which tin be undertaken by the NWSC, the Authorities of Uganda, and/or the Globe Bank.

Natural disasters in the Middle East and North Africa: a regional overview
World Bank. January 2014
This report focuses on the challenges of disaster risk in the Eye East and North African (MNA) region. It provides critical feedback to Governments and partners on efforts and processes required to brand the region disaster resilient. Information technology focuses on the human impact in the region of both floods and droughts, the consequences and suggested methods of disaster response. The overview analyses in depth the sources of vulnerability to natural hazards in the region, such as h2o scarcity, increasing climate variability and a fast growing population.

Devolution in Kenya: Opportunities and Challenges for the Water Sector. Devolution in Republic of kenya: Opportunities and Challenges for the Water Sector
Globe Banking company Water and Sanitation Program (WSP). September 2013
Devolution, or the delegation of power by central authorities to local or regional administration, is by far the most significant initiative in governance that Kenya has undertaken since independence. Under the Constitution of Kenya (2010), devolution has wide-ranging implications for the h2o sector. The Constitution recognizes that access to condom and sufficient water is a basic human right. It also assigns responsibility for water supply and sanitation provision to 47 newly established counties. Constructive implementation of the new devolved framework now requires the water sector to focus on the emerging opportunities and to address a number of challenges. This policy note targets the policy and advocacy audition at national government and county levels involved in the implementation of devolution under the new Constitution. The aim is to identify key transition problems, stimulate debate, and inform decision-making in the h2o and sanitation sector to accomplish sustainable delivery of improved h2o services under the new dispensation.

Adaptation to Climate-change Induced Water Stress in the Nile Basin: A Vulnerability Assessment Report. Adaptation to Climate-alter Induced Water Stress in the Nile Basin: A Vulnerability Assessment Study
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 2013
This publication presents an overview of the people and places vulnerable to water stress related to the impacts of climate change in the Nile Basin. Satellite and other images provide striking visual testify of the environmental changes taking place in each of the vulnerable regions identified. Data and information from detailed research provide evidence for the assessment. The report also includes analysis derived from multi-dimensional tools used at various geographic and political levels, from sub-national, national, and sub-basin to the entire Nile Basin area. These include scientific tools, such as scenario analyses and modeling, to improve our understanding of the likely impacts of climatic change on the Nile River'due south water systems.

Assessing Progress in Africa toward the Millennium Development Goals. MDG Report 2013. Food security in Africa: Issues, challenges and lessons
African Union Commission (AUC), United nations Economical Commission for Africa (UNECA), African Development Banking company (AfDB), Un Evolution
Programme (UNDP). May 2013
As the Millennium Evolution Goals (MDGs) target date of 2015 approaches, this report takes stock of Africa's progress. This 2013 MDG study reveals a mixed pattern—successes and failures, improvements and challenges, innovations and obstacles. The report summarizes Africa'due south MDG performance and identifies the all-time performing countries by indicator. Information about Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, likewise as on factors hindering progress in admission to safe drinking water and sanitation is provided. Section Three focuses this edition on the issue of nutrient security in Africa, presents the situation and success stories and emerging lessons at land level, including problems related to water supply and irrigation.

City Resilience in Africa: A Ten Essentials Pilot Africa Surround Outlook-3. Our Environment, Our Health. Summary for policy makers
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Feb 2013
The Africa Surround Outlook (AEO) is a tool of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environs (AMCEN) for monitoring ecology management in Africa. This issue (AEO-3) focuses on the linkages between environment and health. The AEO-3 report begins past highlighting the major drivers of environmental modify in Africa and their implications for human health. Information technology as well assesses environment and health linkages in the region by focusing on seven priority themes: air quality; biodiversity; chemicals and waste matter; climatic change and variability; coastal and marine resources; freshwater and sanitation; and land. In addition, the report contains a scenario analysis and teases out a series of policy directions. Based on the findings of the thematic assessments and scenario assay, the written report concludes by setting forth transformative policy directions to ensure a sustainable hereafter.

Zambezi River Basin Atlas of the Changing Environment Zambezi River Bowl Atlas of the Changing Surround
Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Zambezi Watercourse Committee (ZAMCOM), Un Environment Programme (UNEP)/Grid-Arendal.
Baronial 2012
The Zambezi River Basin Atlas of the Changing Environment is a basin collaborative initiative with the objective of providing scientific show about changes that are taking place in the natural resources and the surround. The Atlas, with climate alter equally its running theme, is for use by policy makers and other stakeholders, and the general public, to generate action towards climate resilience through accommodation and mitigation of the impacts of climate alter. The Atlas discusses the impacts that these changes are having on the basin'due south people and resource, thus contributing to the documentation and report of the human relationship between human populations and the surround.

City Resilience in Africa: A Ten Essentials Pilot Metropolis Resilience in Africa: A Ten Essentials Airplane pilot
United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). December 2012
In 2010, UNISDR launched a global resilient cities Campaign with the specific focus on improving urban cities' capacity to withstand and recover from natural disasters. By signing up to the Entrada, cities commit to take specific deportment to build their resilience. These actions are guided by the "Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient", a 10-point checklist of factors considered key for cities to better their resilience capacity. In 2012, UNISDR Regional office for Africa in Nairobi, Kenya commenced a pilot project to 'operationalise' the Campaign in iii cities in Africa – Narok and Kisumu in Republic of kenya and Moshi in Tanzania. This certificate provides a background to each urban center and highlights some of the underlying factors that make the 3 cities vulnerable to hazards, including those related to water.

Publication (The) Future of Water in African Cities: Why Waste Water? (The) Future of Water in African Cities: Why Waste material H2o?
World Bank Water Partnership Program (WPP). June 2012
This Report provides examples of cities in Africa and across that have already implemented Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) approaches both in terms of technical and institutional solutions. Case studies explore the ways in which IUWM can assist meet future h2o need in African cities.

Publication GLAAS Report 2012: Africa Highlights GLAAS Report 2012: Africa Highlights[ PDF document – 3.9 MB]
Un-H2o, Earth Wellness Organization (WHO). April 2012
A certificate of UN-H2o Global Analysis and Cess of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) which focuses on Africa's claiming of extending and sustaining services.

Publication GLAAS Report 2012: UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water GLAAS Report 2012: UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-H2o
United nations-Water, World Health Organization (WHO). Apr 2012
The objective of the UN-H2o Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) is to monitor the inputs required to extend and sustain water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems and services. This includes the components of the "enabling environment": documenting regime policy and institutional frameworks; the volume, sources and targeting of investment; the sufficiency of human resources; priorities and gaps with respect to external help; and the influence of these factors on performance. A secondary goal is to analyse the factors associated with progress, or lack thereof, in order to identify drivers and bottlenecks, to identify noesis gaps, to assess strengths and weaknesses, to identify challenges, priorities and successes, and to facilitate benchmarking across countries.

Publication MDG Report 2012: Assessing Progress in Africa toward the Millennium Development Goals. Emerging perspectives from Africa on the post-2015 development agenda MDG Report 2012: Assessing Progress in Africa toward the Millennium Development Goals. Emerging perspectives from Africa on the mail-2015 development agenda[ PDF document – eight MB]
United nations Development Programme (UNDP). 2012
This document tracks the rate of progress on several MDG-related indicators, including "access to a water source" and "improved sanitation". The written report highlights difficulties hampering progress like lack of political volition, pressure on environmental resources to support economical growth, weak governance and planning frameworks, and a lack of fiscal resource. It besides describes emerging perspectives from Africa on the mail-2015 development agenda.

Publication A Snapshot of Drinking Water and Sanitation in Africa – 2012 Update A Snapshot of Drinking H2o and Sanitation in Africa – 2012 Update[ PDF document – fourteen.three MB]
African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) in collaboration with the WHO/UNICEF Articulation Monitoring Plan (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation. 2012
This Snapshot of Drinking Water and Sanitation in Africa – 2012 update document, aims to inform senior policy makers about the status and trends in progress towards achieving the MDG drinking-water and sanitation target in Africa. It is a contribution of the African Ministers' Council on H2o (AMCOW) to the fourth African Water Week (Cairo, fifteen-sixteen May 2012) which brings together senior officials from across the continent to review and discuss the challenges and priorities in the acceleration of providing access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. The estimates presented in this document are derived from data collected by national statistics offices and other relevant institutions through national censuses and nationally representative household surveys.

Africa Water Atlas. Africa Water Atlas
Un Surround Programme (UNEP). 2010
This Atlas is a visual account of Africa's endowment and use of water resources, revealed through 224 maps and 104 satellite images likewise as some 500 graphics and hundreds of photos. Withal the Atlas is more than a collection of static maps and images accompanied by informative facts and figures: its visual elements illustrate a succinct narrative describing and analyzing Africa's water bug and exemplifying them through the use of case studies. It gathers information about water in Africa and its role in the economy and evolution, wellness, food security, transboundary cooperation, capacity building and ecology alter into ane comprehensive and accessible volume.

>> Access most recent publications on Africa from the UN Documentation Centre on Water and Sanitation

Sources:

Africa Water Atlas. UNEP, 2010.
Africa Water Vision 2025: Equitable and Sustainable Use of Water for Socioeconomic Evolution. UNECA, 2009.
Agriculture at a Crossroads: International Assessment of Agronomical Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development. Global Written report. UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, World Depository financial institution, WHO, 2009s.
Assessing Progress in Africa toward the Millennium Development Goals- MDG Study 2012. UNDP, 2012.
The Claiming in Disaster Reduction for the Water and Sanitation Sector: improving quality of life past reducing vulnerabilities. UNISDR, 2006.
The Challenge of Extending and Sustaining Service, GLAAS Study 2012. UN-Water, WHO, 2012.
The Challenge of Extending and Sustaining and Drinking-Water: Africa Highlights, GLAAS Report 2012. WHO, UN-WATER, 2012.
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Facts and figures: Water, sanitation and hygiene links to health. WHO, 2012.
Fact file: 10 facts on Sanitation. WHO, 2011.
Man Development Reports: Often Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Human Development Index (HDI). UNEP, 2011.
Managing Water nether Uncertainty and Chance. The United Nations World Water Development Written report 4, Vol. 1. UNESCO, Un-Water, WWAP, March 2012.
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Progress on drinking h2o and sanitation: 2012 update. UNICEF/WHO JMP, March 2012.
Progress of sanitation and drinking-water: 2010 update. Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water and Sanitation. WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2010.
The eThekwini Announcement and AfricaSan Activity Plan: 11th African Union Elevation on Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation. WSP-Africa, 2008.
(A) snapshot of Drinking Water and Sanitation in Africa. 2012 Update. AMCOW WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2012.
What are slums and why do they exist? 21st Session of the Governing Council. 16-twenty Apr 2007, Nairobi, Kenya. Un-Habitat, Apr, 2007.