African Water Development Report 2006 - United Nations Economic ...

Table 5.7: Progress in Sanitation Coveragein a developing country contextfluctuations in availability or lack of supplies toremote areas. Most African countries face problemsof this sort. In most communities wherewater is scarce and has to be transported overlong distances by road or foot, the cost of drinkingwater may absorb a substantial proportion ofthe average daily income. Elsewhere, a combinationof seasonal, geographical and hydrologicalfactors may deny individual households or entirecommunities a continuous, reliable supplyof drinking water. During the dry season, springsources may dwindle, reservoirs may become exhaustedand excessive demands by some groupsof people may limit supplies to their neighbours.Such problems are not confined to poorer countries;they are also experienced with increasingfrequency in industrialized countries wheremanagement of demand has failed or populationgrowth has outpaced the development of waterresources.WATER FOR MEETING BASIC NEEDSSource: MDG Task Force on Water and Sanitation, 2005management actionsEnsuring the safety and quality of water suppliedto communities is an important consideration inprotecting human health and well-being, but it isnot the only factor that affects consumers. Accessto water is of paramount concern and otherfactors, such as the population served, the reliabilityof the supply and the cost to the consumermust also be taken into account. The United NationsConference at Mar del Plata in 1977 fullyadopted the following philosophy:“All peoples, whatever their stage of developmentand social and economic condition, have the right tohave access to drinking-water in quantities and of aquality equal to their basic needs.”Access to water may be restricted in several ways,such as prohibitive charges, daily or seasonal111