Only a third of Africa's population has access to clean water.
With sub-Saharan Africa has achieved an implementation level of just 46% in its degree of integrated water resources management, there is considerable scope for the region to improve its performance in meeting citizens' water needs.
A third of the people in Africa remain without access to clean, safe water and there is a need to deal with this through a robust water management system, which will build resilience against increasing demand on limited water resources, says SRK Consulting principal scientist Avril Owens.
“Effective water management needs a tailored water management plan, with pragmatic actions to address current on-the-ground challenges and develop and sustain the system. This plan must, in turn, be based on validated information, as well as sufficient human and financial resources, so that it can be implemented and kept relevant,” she says.
People are severely impacted on in sub-Saharan Africa, and many risk contracting diseases, owing to poor sanitation, poor hygiene facilities and contaminated water.
Highlighting the water plight in a recent webinar, she outlines how Africa has 16% of the worlds population, yet only 9% of the worlds fresh water. Some one in three people do not have access to clean or safe water and, in many African countries, more than 50% pf people are without access to a basic water supply, which is a barrier to handwashing and hygiene.
