A Comparative Appraisal of Water Resources Sustainable Development for African Urban Areas

Around the globe, the increasing use of water coupled with the environmental deterioration calls for sustainable development of the limited water resources. Indeed, the challenges of water resources sustainable development are enormous. Globally, some 1.1 billion people lack access to safe water and 2.6 billion lack access to safe sanitation when 1.7 million premature deaths are attributable to unsafe water, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene. A number of urban areas in Africa are currently facing a crucial shortage of freshwater that threatens public health and impedes social, environmental and economic development. As urbanization continues to increase, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated and cooperative water resources management is required for sustainable future of urban areas in Africa. The objective of this study was to assess water resources sustainable development for selected urban areas in Africa. Using centralized databases of international agencies, for the period of 1993 to 1998, urban information pertinent to water resources were collected, analyzed and modeled. The study database consisted of information regarding urban water accessibility, consumption, price, wastewater treatment, and other pertinent social, environmental and economic indicators. After preliminary evaluation o