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

Measuring Socio-economic Pressuresin AfricaFrom the socio-economic point of view, Africafaces a crisis of endemic poverty and pervasive underdevelopment.For many African countries, economicperformance in the immediate post-colonialera was good. However, for most of Africa, particularly,sub-Saharan Africa, since the oil crisis of themid-1970s, economic performance has been poorand worsening (Mkandawire, T. and C.C. Soludo,The problems are simply listed for referencesake, for their consequences are only too obvious.These consequences, as outlined by YilmaE., (1996) follow:(a) Economic ProblemsTable 1.7: Socio-Economic Performance Indicators of AfricaIndicator(i) High rate of inflation;(ii) Unfavourable terms of trade;(iii) Falling prices for export commodities andrising prices of imports;performance (%)1965-73 1974-79 1980-85 1986-93 1990-94 1995-98*Population growth rate 2.7 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.7Growth rate of GDP (avg.) 5.7 3.5 1.8 2.5 1.9 3.75Growth rate of per capita GDP (avg.) 3.0 0.7 -1.1 -0.5 -1.1 1.05Growth rate of agricultural output (avg.) 2.7 3.0 1.5 2.7 2.1 3.4Growth rate of manufacturing output(avg.)7.3 6.7 5.2 2.5 1.3 2.9Growth rate of investment (avg.) 9.6 6.9 -4.8 1.2 0.8 -Savings-GDP (avg.) 16.2 20.9 16.3 15.6 15.3 -Growth rate of exports (avg.) 8.2 2.6 0.4 3.0 0.6 5.25Growth rate of imports (avg.) 7.4 6.2 -2.4 0.7 0.4 5.8Source: AfDB, 1994. * Source: Africa Summary Briefings, Live database, World BankINTRODUCTION - WATER FOR SUSTAINABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT1999). Over the past 20 years, Africa’s economicgrowth rates have been low, a situation that coincidedwith the IWSSD. Performance was particularlydismal in the 1980s. From 1980 to 1994, averageGDP growth rates were lower than populationgrowth rates (table 1.7). From figure 1.1 below, itcan be observed that GDP during the decade declinedin most subregions.Consideration of the development of drinkingwater and sanitation as well as other water sectorprogrammes in Africa during the mid-1970swould be incomplete if the economic, politicaland climatic conditions prevailing at that timewere not taken into account. This is becausethose conditions negatively affected the progressin the water sector as it did all socio-economicdevelopment activities in the region.(iv) Mounting debt burden;(v) Stagnant or decreasing inflow of OfficialDevelopment Assistance (ODA).(b) Political and Management Problems(i) Political instability arising from frequentmilitary intervention in government;(ii) Civil wars;(iii) Economic mismanagement at the nationallevel.(c) Socio-Cultural Problems(i)Cultural and social norms which have perpetuatedgender inequality in social roles,economic opportunities and politicalpower;