Project Syndicate: Confronting Africa’s Water Challenge
Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank

“…Owing to the effects of climate change, Africa is experiencing its worst drought since 1945, especially in Southern Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Northern Nigeria. These fragile areas now need the global community’s support. We need to build resilient systems to ensure access to potable water for all people, and to improve water-delivery and sanitation provisions in Africa’s rapidly growing urban areas. We should begin by expanding Africans’ capacity to harness wastewater. … Over the past six years, the African Development Bank has invested $3.3 billion in projects to expand access to water and improve sanitation, with around $2.2 billion of that going to urban services that reach at least 17 million people. … Africa’s wastewater-management challenges are substantial and complex. But the AfDB is determined to provide opportunities that pay dividends for African communities — in public health, improved sanitation, economic development, and environmental protection…” (6/27).