Lagging water infrastructure is holding Africa back
16 March 2012
Mail & Guardian online - March 16, 2012
A failure to invest in water infrastructure is holding back the economies of many sub-Saharan countries, African Ministers' Council on Water (Amcow) executive secretary Bai-Mass Taal said on Friday.
"In sub-Saharan Africa, we are unable to convince them that giving money for water is an economic investment; that you will get your money back," he said, speaking at the World Water Forum in Marseille, France.
"They cannot see it. What they can see is that when they give agriculture money, use fertilisers and then sell the produce, then something comes back.
"Now we are telling them that water is an economic commodity. Every dollar [US] spent on water, you can get from $6 to $12 in return."
Category: Water