Benin report - Institut Africain de la Gouvernance

CHAPTER SIX: SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT__________________________________________________________________________than 200,000 persons currently live with HIV/AIDS. The 2002 figurewas obtained after conducting a national survey with prenatal andsexually transmitted infection consultants. It was based on a moreinclusive sample compared to that of 2001. Malaria is one of themajor diseases in Benin. In 2002 it accounted for 37% of healthcare needs in health facilities. Fatalities due to malaria droppedfrom 316% in 1995 to 70% in 2002.7. Increasing theproportion of personsusing drinking waterWith regard to drinking water, 2002 statistics reveal that 61% of thepopulation had access to drinking water. Nearly 22% of this wateris supplied by the defunct SBEE, while 15.5% is supplied throughvillage pumps, 8.3% through protected wells and 5.7% throughstandpipes. On the other hand, 39% of the population remainsvulnerable by resorting to non-drinkable water supply sources[unprotected wells (22.6%), rivers and backwaters (13.2%), watertanks and other sources (3.1%)]. The population‟s access rate todrinking water remained unchanged over the past years at 61.1%.This situation shows a shortfall of 9% compared to the target for2003 (70.3%). At this rate, it seems unlikely that the target of 78%will be reached by 2015. This situation is explained by, amongother things, the absence of a water resources managementstrategy until 2003. Moreover, reforms undertaken by the defunctSBEE, which led to the separation of the „water‟ sector from the„electricity‟ sector, will only start yielding results from 2005.8. Creating a globalpartnership fordevelopmentThe partnership has been established in various areas, particularlythat of poverty reduction.773. The problem of sustainable development was not thoroughly examined bythe CSAR. The problems of environmental protection and employment,particularly youth employment, have not been sufficiently analysed. However,they are important and have been mentioned frequently by the differentstakeholders at both central and departmental levels. Besides, they areessential components of sustainable development.774. Given that firewood is virtually the only source of domestic energy (especiallyin rural areas), the consequences of its exploitation on deforestation and thedegradation of ecosystems, as manifested through the gradual advance of thesavannah, are very perceptible and preoccupy the people interviewed. Thephenomenon of extreme poverty and social and cultural constraints hinder thepeople‟s access to alternative domestic sources of energy such as gas,renewable energies and solar energy.775. This has led to the continuous degradation of forest and wildlife resources.Therefore, in order to counter the blow that such a loss of ecological diversityand environmental degradation could have on life, Benin has subscribed toseveral international conventions and agreements in this field, joined itspartners in the preservation of its ecosystems by declaring a forestry policy in1994, and implemented important programmes and projects.254