Some (not many) Facts and Figures (and Graphs) highlighting Urban growth (follow on from previous blog…)

Africa's urban population growth for the last 2 decades is averaging almost 5% per year. (Yet the "take off" is yet to come). The current urban growth rate is in fact 4.87% making it the continent with the fastest rate of urbanisation.

Urban predicted growth between 2000-2030 is more than twice the rate of rural population growth and is expected to rise sharply by over 300 million in this period.

(Urban poverty is significant and likely to grow.)

City dwellers in Africa only use 50 litres of water per person per day.  The highest median price of water is also highest in Africa.  In highly industrialised countries, almost 100% of households are connected to piped water. The average water consumption for these households is 215 litres per person daily.

https://www.citiesalliance.org/sites/citiesalliance.org/files/CA_Docs/resources/paper-pres/ssa/eng/chap_2.pdf

A little note on the increased challenges existing within urban Africa caused by its population boom.

Urbanisation in many parts of Africa has "largely been translated into rising slum establishments, increasing poverty and inequality."  SSA (sub-Saharan Africa) cities are (assumingly very broadly) characterised by insufficient basic infrastructure.

84% of Africa's urban dwellers have access to potable water with 54% with adequate sanitation (AfDB et al., 2012). Broadly, 60% of Africans live in areas where water supplies and sanitation are inadequate.

With Africa's urbanisation increasing furthermore, infrastructural problems will put an increased amount of pressure on political responses to management of the issues it creates. Unless basic infrastructural needs are met, combined with a strong enough government to implement policy to deal with the issues that rapid urbanisation will have for the continent there could be serious implications for the poorer majority of those who live in urban Africa, particularly SSA.

http://www.afdb.org/en/blogs/afdb-championing-inclusive-growth-across-africa/post/urbanization-in-africa-10143/

Diarrhoea and effects of different water sources, sanitation and hygiene behaviour in East Africa. Tumwine, J.K. et al.

A brief summary of the above article is as follows.

Ill health related to inadequate water sanitation and supply is "one of the most significant concerns" in many developing countries and is one of the primary causes of many childhood illnesses and poor health in parts of East Africa. 

The objective of the study was to carry out a repeat analysis of domestic water use and environmental health in East Africa. Measurements were taken in the amount of water collected, recordings of the amount of water use at home taken, socio-demographic analysis of household characteristics taken, prevalence of diarrhoea, state and use of latrines and the sources of water and conditions of use.

Of the 1015 surveyed households in 33 sites in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya between the years 1967-1997 the following results were recorded for the prevalence of Diarrhoea in these area.

• Kenya, increase from 6%-18%
• Uganda, increase from 16%-21%
• Tanzania, decline from 11%-18%

The main determinants of diarrhoea morbidity included poor hygiene due to unsafe disposal of faeces and wastewater, the education level of household head, where water was obtained from (surface sources or wells) and per capita water used for cleaning.

(WHO/UNICEF, 2000) 

*4 billion cases of diarrhoea each year. 2.2 million deaths, most of which occur un children under the age of 5.

*In Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, approx 42 million people do not have access to improved water supply and 13 million do not have access to improved sanitation facilities.

Water supply coverage refers to the proportion of  with adequate access to safe drinking water in a dwelling or located within a convenient distance from the user’s dwelling. Reasonable access implies that the housewife does not have to spend a disproportionate part of the day fetching water for the family’s needs; 200 m is regarded as a convenient distance (Rosen & Vincent 1999).

Sanitation service coverage is generally defined as the proportion of the population with access to at least adequate excreta disposal facilities that can effectively prevent human, animal and insect contact with excreta. Suitable facilities range from simple but protected pit latrines to flush toilets with sewerage (WHO 1996). 

Study suggests that benefits of services improvements to diarrhoea morbidity were 25% from improved water availability, 22% from improved excreta disposal, and 16% from water quality improvements.

Victorian London

Reading through lecture notes about urban water and sanitation issues has highlighted to me that one focal point/issue is the existence of diarrohoeal diseases and how poor water sanitation particularly in an urban setting can affect the occurrence and prevalence of such diseases.
It is known to me that water sanitation in Victorian London was poor with outbreaks of Cholera common. One particular outbreak originating from the Broad Street pump in Soho in 1854 has particular fame attached to it as it led to the physician John Snow to conclude that cholera contaminated water as opposed to being air borne. However, the point is the lecture slides suggests that the water sanitation conditions in that era in London were "remarkably similar to many African cities today". thus based on this i am going to do further research on specific disease outbreaks within African urban areas caused by poor water sanitation.

Unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene practice lead to "chronic, recurrent incident of diarrhoeal diseases", complications of such diseases include malnutrition and stunting as well as of course fatalities. An epidemic of such diseases may be triggered by an extreme event, such as an earthquake, heavy rainfall or flooding etc... "mobilising waterborne pathogens or leading to the introduction of a new toxin/pathogen through mutation". Those communities without access to safe water and adequate sanitation, and unable to practice good hygiene are extremely vulnerable to contracting these diseases.

Any google search concerning "Urban Water and Sanitation" particularly in Africa reveals multiple charitable websites talking of "ongoing projects" or ways in which "issues/problems" concerning the above can be solved. Thus it can be assumed that many urban areas within countries in Africa have issues with sanitation in their urban areas. This blog will explore issues and potential solutions of water and sanitation in urban Africa.