Sanitation and Wastewater Atlas of Africa

security, while safeguarding the natural environment” (World Economic Forum [WEF] and United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] 2012). As might be expected, increased population coupled with an increase in consumption patterns is leading to greater pressure on natural resources including water, land and forests (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] 2012). The challenges of managing water resources and mitigating water allocation conflicts have gained increasing attention among policymakers and researchers, as population growth and changing consumption patterns are intensifying competition for limited freshwater resources (Hurni andWiesmann eds. 2010). Development policies therefore need to reflect and respond to population dynamics and their relationships with social, economic and environmental factors (OECD 2012).

Despite high rates of urbanization, Africa still faces high rural population growth rates when compared to the rest of the world (Figure 1.6). Open defecation, lack of handwashing facilities and the poor siting and management of pit latrines – which often results in the contamination of shallow wells that are used for drinking water – are just some of the reasons why rural Africa lags behind urban areas in terms of safely managed sanitation. 1.1.2 Implications of African population trends for sustainable development Africa’s young and rapidly growing population in both the urban and rural contexts calls on the continent to be innovative in its efforts to “reduce poverty, create employment, and provide food, water and energy

Many people in Africa lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation

Rural people on average spend a significant amount of time collecting water for household use

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SANITATION AND WASTEWATER ATLAS OF AFRICA