Introduction. Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from chronically overburdened water systems under increasing stress from fast-growing urban areas . Weak governments, corruption, mismanagement of resources, poor long-term investment, and a lack of environmental research and urban infrastructure only exacerbate the problem.
What are the main causes of water scarcity?
- Overuse of Water. Nowadays, the overuse of water is increasing day by day and people are using an extra amount than needed. ...
- Pollution of Water. ...
- Conflict. ...
- Drought. ...
- Global Warming. ...
- Groundwater Pollution. ...
- Effects of Water Scarcity. ...
- Save Water Whenever Possible.
What is the main cause of water scarcity in Africa?
The main causes of water scarcity in Africa are physical and economic scarcity, rapid population growth, and climate change . ... This is because an increasing number of the river basins have reached conditions of water scarcity through the combined demands of agriculture and other sectors.
What are the effects of water scarcity in Africa?
Water scarcity can also lead to diseases such as trachoma (an eye infection that can lead to blindness), plague and typhus. Water scarcity affects 1 in 3 people in the African Region and is getting worse with population growth, urbanization and increases in household and industrial uses.
What are 5 causes of water scarcity?
Water shortages may be caused by climate change, such as altered weather patterns including droughts or floods, increased pollution, and increased human demand and overuse of water . A water crisis is a situation where the available potable, unpolluted water within a region is less than that region’s demand.
Which country has the cleanest water in Africa?
Access to safe water
South Africa is among the top six African countries with safely managed drinking water sources, with 93% of the population receiving access to it. Mauritius has the highest number of residents accessing safe water at 100% of the population.
What countries in Africa are most affected by water scarcity?
- Eritrea: 80.7% lack basic water services.
- Papua New Guinea: 63.4% lack basic water services. ...
- Uganda: 61.1% lack basic water services. ...
- Ethiopia: 60.9% lack basic water services. ...
- Somalia: 60% lack basic water services. ...
- Angola: 59% lack basic water services. ...
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: 58.2% lack basic water services. ...
What are the causes of scarcity?
- Demand-induced – High demand for resource.
- Supply-induced – supply of resource running out.
- Structural scarcity – mismanagement and inequality.
- No effective substitutes.
What are the causes and effects of water scarcity?
What Are Some of the Effects of Water Scarcity? Aside from an obvious lack of drinking water, hunger is one of the biggest effects of water scarcity. Water shortages directly contribute to lower crop yields and the death of livestock , which can quickly lead to food shortages.
What are the impacts of water scarcity?
1. Lack of Access to Drinking Water . The biggest problem that happens when you have water scarcity is that people are not able to get fresh, clean drinking water. The human body can hardly survive so long without water, and a lack of drinking water can result in a number of other problems, which we discuss below.
Why is Africa’s water important?
Water is a precious yet non-renewable resource. Yet in Africa, the same water can be a source of life and death . Water is not only the most basic of need but also at the centre of sustainable development and essential for poverty eradication. Water is intimately linked to health, agriculture, energy and biodiversity.
How can we stop water scarcity in Africa?
- Developing water filtration systems.
- Promoting water stewardship.
- Protecting wetlands.
- Improving irrigation efficiency.
- Increasing water storage in reservoirs.
Where is water scarcity in Africa?
In Africa south of the Sahara , where agriculture is predominantly rainfed, farmers’ access to water is limited based on time (during droughts and dry seasons) and space (in arid areas). But water scarcity in the region is not necessarily caused by a physical lack of water.
What countries have water scarcity?
- Northern and central India. In India, 163 million people are without access to clean water close to home, or 15% of all rural residents and 7% of all urban residents. ...
- Bangladesh. ...
- Myanmar. ...
- Southern Mozambique. ...
- Southern Madagascar.
Who is affected by water scarcity?
Water scarcity already affects every continent. Around 1.2 billion people , or almost one-fifth of the world’s population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this situation.
How can we reduce water scarcity?
- Increase awareness and education about water scarcity. ...
- Invest in innovative technologies. ...
- Make agricultural irrigation more efficient. ...
- Improve water infrastructure. ...
- Reduce water pollution. ...
- Encourage water conservation.
