| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
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1.4. Water Situation in Africa
The African continent has abundant freshwater resources including large rivers and lakes such as the Congo, Nile and Zambezi river basins, and Lake Victoria. However, access to water within Africa and between African countries is affected by uneven distribution of water resources. A large percent of the continent (54 percent) is arid to semiarid, 14 percent is humid to very humid, and only 31 percent has good rainfall.38 Water supplies have failed to keep pace with fast population growth and rapid economic development. As a result, many people in Africa are facing water scarcity and conflicts over water.
Africa is one of the two regions in the world facing serious water shortages. Currently, there are fourteen countries in Africa facing water stress or water scarcity.39 About 200 million people in Africa live in water stressed countries. It is expected that about 460 million people will be living in water stressed countries by the year 2025.40 Water stress occurs when there is insufficient water to satisfy the demand, or when poor quality of water restricts its use, leading to water shortage. A country is termed as “water stressed” when its annual supply of renewable freshwater is about 1,700 m3 or less per person. Water scarcity is a situation where the annual supply of renewable freshwater drops to 1,000 m3 or less per person.41 Currently, about 6 million people in Africa live in countries affected by water scarcity. It is estimated that by the year 2025, about 230 million people in Africa will be living in countries affected by water scarcity.42 Water scarcity and stress can be caused by physical, economic, and institutional factors.
Physical water scarcity and stress occur when the demand for water exceeds the capacity of potentially utilizable water resources (PUWR). PUWR refers to a proportion of annual renewable water resources (ARWR) that is available for utilization in the country.43 A country experiences physical water scarcity and stress when its primary water supply exceeds 60 percent of its PUWR.