In a new report: "Water Sector Governance in Africa," the
African Development Bank (AfDB) claims that the only way to solve the water and
sanitation crisis, which has plagued the African continent for over half a
century, is by making people pay. But history warns that charging people for
water could lead Africa into another water war.
The water sources of Africa are erratically placed
throughout the vast land, and with a lack of solid infrastructure to properly
distribute and regulate the safety of the water; many people are forced to walk
miles to obtain unsafe drinking water. Because of these sparse and unregulated water
sources, 2,000 African children die from diarrhea everyday. In fact, diarrhea
has become the number one killer of children in Africa, and although these
deaths are entirely preventable, the AfDB states that new investors and paying
customers are the only ways to make water infrastructure and services
sustainable.
The AfDB states: "Over 25 years have passed since the water decade and the truth remains that adequate cost recovery is still one of the major obstacles to maintenance and expansion of drinking water supply in developing countries,"
The AfDB estimates that an annual $45 billion to $60 billion
is needed to improve Africa's water infrastructure. But national budgets and
financing from the Official Development Assistance (ODA) is not enough to
bridge this multi-million dollar gap in funding. To fill the monetary gap the
AfDB is turning to a greater user contribution as well as commercial financing
and contributions from private foundations.
Many feel that charging a fee for water goes
against the UN's ruling earlier this year, which states access to clean water
and sanitation as a human right. But the AfDB contends that it is a misconception
to believe "that rights entitle people to free water; instead, water
and sanitation should be clean, accessible and affordable for all. People are
expected to contribute financially or otherwise to the extent that they can do
so." The bank goes on to say that providing clean water and sanitation
free of charge distorts the customers understanding of its value, and leads to
waste.
Environmental activist and author
Vandana Shiva argues that the people's value of water is not based on its
price. "Women who walk 10 miles for water do not waste a drop, even though
their water is not provided through market transactions." Others believe that
the privatization of water will separate the rich from the poor. Richard
Maholo, leader of the South African Crisis Water Committee, is calling the
privatization of water "a new kind of apartheid."
Earlier attempts to privatize the
water and sanitation services throughout Africa have led to full-scale and
violent water wars. As well, in 2000, a cholera epidemic broke out in South
Africa due to a system of prepaid water meters that were previously put in
place. Since citizens could not afford to pay the meters fee for water, they
were forced to search out water in polluted rivers and canals. These diseased
filled water sources caused the epidemic, which infected 120,000 people and
killed 265.
With half of the African countries being
off-track to meet the Millennium Development Goals for clean drinking water set
by the UN global action plan, it is obvious that a solution needs to be found
for this mounting water crisis in Africa. But it is more then likely that
another attempt to privatize water will only conjure the same results as past
attempts, and leave Africa in further turmoil.
Photo: Water pump ACF, Julien Harneis from Flickr used under Creative Commons Copyright.
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