Poverty in Africa Linked to Water Management
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Posted on March 31, 2006
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Nuttall spoke in Nairobi after the release of a U.N. report on water development ahead of the Fourth World Water Forum in Mexico City, which links mismanagement of water to development. "Water is power and those who control the flow of water in time and space can exercise this power in various ways. It is often claimed that clean water tends to gravitate towards the rich and waste water towards the poor," it said.
The United Nations estimates 1.1 billion people globally do not have access to safe drinking water and 2.6 billion still do not have basic sanitation. Although it is unevenly distributed, there is plenty of water for everyone in the world, but poor management is why everyone does not have access, the United Nations said.
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In water-scarce North Africa, good water management is the reason its countries use more of available water than water-rich sub-Saharan Africa, said Kevin Pietersen, director of the South Africa-based Water Research Commission. The report said Algeria uses 42 percent of its available water while the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has twice as much water, only uses 0.03 percent.
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Water management also impacts energy output, one of the most important ingredients for economic growth in developing countries. In Ethiopia, it is estimated that 30,000 mega watts (MW) of hydropower can be generated from existing water, but only 670 MW are actually used, the report said. "While Europe makes use of 75 percent of its hydropower potential, Africa -- where 60 percent of the population has no access to electricity -- has developed only 7 percent of its potential," the report said.
Reprinted with permission from IPP Media.
To read another Global Envision article about an innovative water catchment solution, see Bottled Water for Everyone.
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