Water scarcity in Africa

[2] The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported in 2012 that growing water scarcity is now one of the leading challenges for sustainable development.

[22] Additionally, many countries within Africa set the cost of water well below cost-recovery levels, thus discouraging efficient usage and threatening sustainability.

As the population increases rapidly, there is urgent demands for improved health, quality of life, food security, and 'lubrication' of industrial growth, which also place severe constraints on the water available to achieve these goals.

People living in water-deprived regions turn to unsafe water resources, which contributes to the spread of waterborne diseases including typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery and diarrhea.

In most African societies, women are seen as the collectors, managers, and guardians of water, especially within the domestic sphere that includes household chores, cooking, washing, and child rearing.

[38] For African women, their daily role in clean water retrieval often means carrying the typical jerrycan that can weigh over 40 pounds when full[21] for an average of six kilometers each day.

[36] This has health consequences such as permanent skeletal damage from carrying heavy loads of water over long distances each day,[42] which translates to a physical strain that contributes to increased stress, increased time spent in health recovery, and decreased ability to not only physically attend educational facilities, but also mentally absorb education due to the effect of stress on decision-making and memory skills.

Also, in terms of health, access to safe and clean drinking water leads to greater protection from water-borne illnesses and diseases which increases all students' capabilities to attend school.

In a study conducted by the World Bank, they found that, on average, individuals who suffer from malnutrition lose 10% of their potential lifetime earnings.

[42][50] The social and economic consequences of a lack of clean water penetrate into realms of education, opportunities for gainful employment, physical strength and health, agricultural and industrial development, and thus the overall productive potential of a community, nation, and/or region.

In 2000, Zimbabwe caused the region to experience the worst flooding in recent history when the country opened the Kariba Dam gates.

However, such systems often result in additional conflict, as water rights can be monopolized by large-scale irrigators at the expense of smallholder farmers in the region.

[54] Nevertheless, running desalination plants has its challenges; it requires a substantial amount of electricity, chemicals, and a good infrastructure, making it hard for developing countries to own one.

[4] Some suggested and ongoing efforts to achieve this include an emphasis on infrastructural implementations and improvements of wells, rainwater catchment systems, and clean-water storage tanks.

Efforts made by the United Nations in compliance with the Millennium Development Goals have targeted water scarcity not just for Africa, but globally.

Access to water affects poverty, food scarcity, educational attainment, social and economic capital of women, livelihood security, disease, and human and environmental health.

In March 2012, the UN announced that this goal has been met almost four years in advance, suggesting that global efforts to reduce water scarcity are on a successful trend.

One of many efforts include USAID's WASH- the WASH for Life partnership with the Gates Foundation- that works to promote water, sanitation, and hygiene.

[56] Additionally, in March 2012, Hillary Clinton announced the U.S. Water Partnership, which will bring together people from the private sector, the philanthropic community, non-governmental organizations, academics, experts, and the government in an attempt to look for system-wide solutions.

In addition to the geographic and developmental limiting factors, a number of political, economic reasons also stand in the way of ensuring adequate aid for Africa.

Politically, tensions between local governments versus foreign non-governmental organizations impact the ability to successfully bring in money and aid-workers.

Rainfall falls on a surfaces such as roof and is directed to replenish the ground water table by seeping down into a tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), aquifer, or reservoir using percolation.

RWH is an option which has historically been adopted in areas where conventional water supply systems have failed to meet the needs of the people.

The slash and burn agriculture eliminated about ten percent of the total country's native biomass and converted it to a barren wasteland.

Several fish species have been driven to the edge of extinction and some, such as the disturbed coral reef formations in the Indian Ocean, are effectively lost.

[68] Some major categories of pollutants include fertilizer and agricultural runoff, poor sewage management systems, industrial waste, oil and gas contaminants, mineral mining by-products, and abattoir effluent.

[72] Morocco faces severe water scarcity due to climate change, population growth, and increasing agricultural demands.

Over the past few decades, rainfall has decreased by about 20%, creating significant challenges, especially in rural areas where around 2.2 million people lack reliable access to clean drinking water.

[73] In response, the Moroccan government is building dams, promoting efficient irrigation practices, and investing in desalination plants to diversify water sources.

However, climate variability and resource management issues continue to pose significant obstacles to achieving sustainable water access for all.