New report Available from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Global Network / World Wildlife Fund (2002)
Freshwater Trends and Projections: Focus on Africa, by Revenga, C. and Cassar, A.
This report shows that Africa experienced the largest population rise between 1990 and 2000 of any region, but still has the lowest total water supply coverage. The discrepancy is underscored by the fact that even though between 1999 and 2000, about 816 million more people worldwide gained access to some form of improved water supplies, nearly 1 billion rural inhabitants in the developing world still lack access to clean water, most of them in Africa. The continent is particularly beset with uneven water distribution: 50 per cent of total surface water is within the Congo River Basin alone, while Egypt is in one of the most water-stressed zones in Africa, yet is the largest user.
The report concludes that due to water scarcity, the future of irrigation lies in better management of existing schemes. The report also cites the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) which recognizes the importance of both development needs and the maintenance of ecosystem function, suggesting that these need to be balanced, taking into account the impacts of specific actions.
Available online at: http://www.panda.org/livingwaters/pubs/Water_Trend s_and_Projections_Focus_on_Africa.pdf:
