Home > Authors > Sudeshna Ghosh Banerjee > Africa's water and sanitation infrastructure
Africa's water and sanitation infrastructure
The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) have called attention to deficiencies in the quantity and quality of water supply and sanitation (WSS) globally. Although most of the world is on track to meet the MDG drinking water target, Africa lags behind. Only 58 percent of the population enjoys access to safe drinking water. According to projections, 300 million more peopleùalmost 38 percent of the region's population, or half the number of people who currently have access to improved waterùwill need to be covered to meet the MDG target. Similarly, more than 2.5 billion people remain without improved sanitation worldwide; of that total, 22 percent, corresponding to more than half a billion people, lives in Africa. With the MDG deadline fast approaching, it is essential to take stock of the WSS sectors in Africa, analyze their achievements and shortcomings, and identify the sector...
