In the settlement and squatter areas of African cities, the
urban poor, particularly children, face untold health risks
from raw sewage, unsafe water, and solid waste. Safe
drinking water is often nonexistent, and the water of questionable
quality that is available may be touted as "safe" by vendors and
sold at a price few can afford.
The needs of the urban poor are mounting as the inevitable
migration of people from rural areas to the cities continues.
Land tenure is rare; financing and constructing homes, water
systems, and other infrastructure are risky ventures. Municipalities
are not equipped, financially or technically, to meet
the basic water and sanitation needs of this growing
population.
WATER For PEOPLE and the US Environmental Protection Agency,
Office of International Activities, have joined forces to make a
difference. In October 2000, they launched the Water For Africa
partnership to help bring safe, sustainable drinking water to
Africa's urban poor.
Education, capacity-building, and collaborative work with local
stakeholder groups are under way in Malawi, Zambia, Uganda,
Kenya, and Tanzania. The social cohesion that is sometimes taken for
granted in rural development projects is often absent because of the
great diversity in religion, culture, and ethnicity, making settlement
areas complicated environments in which to operate. To determine
the assistance best suited for this complex environment, Water For
Africa includes extensive evaluation in every project.
Includes figure.
| Edition : | Vol. 94 - No. 8 |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 1.7 MB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 6 |
| Published : | 08/01/2002 |
