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The WHO (2006) stated that, in 2004, only 16% of people in sub-Saharan Africa had access to drinking water through a household connection (an indoor tap or a tap in the yard). Even when there is available water in these places, there is poor access to readily accessible drinking water as there are risks of contamination due to several factors.
A further 1.6 billion people live in areas of economic water scarcity, where there is insufficient human capacity or financial resources for people to effectively make use of the water that is available. Here, sub-Saharan Africa is a good example; there is water in the rivers but no dams or pumps to enable people to use it. [3]
Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest number of water-stressed countries of any other place on the planet and of an estimated 800 million people who live in Africa, 300 million live in a water stressed environment. [5] In 2012, it was estimated that by 2030, 75 million to 250 million people in Africa will be living in areas of high water stress. [5]
About 7.2 million people needed food aid, and 4.4 million people needed help to access water. Food prices have increased a lot due to the drought conditions. Many people in the affected area have experienced food shortages due to the water insecurity situation. [93] In the Awash basin in central Ethiopia floods and droughts are common.
[8]: 560 Many people in Sub-Saharan Africa are living with economic water scarcity. [10]: 11 There is enough freshwater available globally and averaged over the year to meet demand. As such, water scarcity is caused by a mismatch between when and where people need water, and when and where it is available. [11]
The DRC is the most water-rich country in Africa. It accounts for approximately 52 percent of Africa's surface water reserves and 23 percent of Africa's internal renewable water resources. [5] The internal renewable freshwater resources per capita were estimated at 14,406 m 3 /person/year in 2008. [6]
Sand and water on the side of the road, causing erosion on the environment Plastic bags dumped by the road side in Katete in mbarara district in western Uganda. The erosion caused by rains, rivers and winds as well as over-use of soils for agriculture and low use of manures have resulted in turning the soils infertile, as for example, in the plains of the Nile and the Orange River.
The main sources of Africa's 3.6% share of the world's Carbon dioxide emissions are gas flaring in the Niger Delta and coal-fired power plants in South Africa. [23] But, the continent's forests are rapidly disappearing because of desertification and deforestation, which has negative consequences for both Africa and the climate at large. [24]