Water supply in Africa has increased by 13%, report says

23 August 2011

The water supply infrastructure in Africa has been improving as access to water has increased since 1990.

According to a recent report released by the Water and Sanitation Program at the World Bank, 58 per cent of the population of 32 nations are now able to receive water.

This represents a rise of 13 percentage points over the last 21 years.

The document entitled Pathways to Progress: Transitioning to Country-Led Service Delivery Pathways to Meet Africa's Water Supply also found that sanitation increased by 11 percentage points during the same period.

Author of the report and senior financial specialist Dominick de Waal said: "Stable countries have outperformed the fragile ones by making greater increases in water supply coverage and in reducing open defecation in rural areas more markedly."

Last week, ONE International suggested that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development should help improve the continent's water infrastructure further by investing $2.01 billion (£1.21 billion), which could be used to assist in the Horn of Africa drought crisis.  

Category: Water