Benin report - Institut Africain de la Gouvernance

CHAPTER SIX: SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT__________________________________________________________________________Objective 4:Ensure affordable access for all citizens, especially therural poor, to water, sanitation, energy, finance(including micro-finance), markets, ICT, housing andlandi. Summary of the CSAR819. The CSAR shows that Benin has laws and institutions that provide water,sanitation, energy, finance, ICT and land, and that efforts are being made ineach of these sectors. However, policies and strategies have been adoptedwhose impact on the population cannot be easily assessed.820. Water is the key factor in all development policies and strategies. Thus,governance in this domain is seen in the adoption of suitable legislation toensure the equitable and legal use of resources, especially when they areshared between several parties. The integrated management of water resourcesis the new approach being used in the sector.821. According to recent statistics, the national average drinking water supply torural areas was 42% in 2003. Enormous disparities are observed from onedistrict to another. The Atacora, Borgou and Alibori districts are found to beabove the national average (61%, 50% and 47% respectively), while Ouéméand Plateau have levels below the national average (31% and 32%respectively). The other districts are very close to the national average.822. In 2003, Benin had 10,150 water points of all categories. This equates, onaverage, to one functioning well for every 152 inhabitants in rural areas. Waterpoints function at 90.6%. This means that about 10 out of every 100 pumps areout of order. In 2003, less than one-third of households (31.3%) had access todrinking water from SONEB.823. In sanitation, the problems mainly concern drainage of rainwater in urbanareas, and channelling used water in both urban and rural areas. This is also amajor threat to the environment. More than 81% of households throw theirwaste into the open, and 67.3% relieve themselves in the same manner.824. The energy sector should be controlled to ensure the economic developmentand welfare of the population in Benin. Though Benin has enormous potential,energy is rare. The field survey conducted for the CSAR shows that the mostwidely used source of lighting is kerosene (79.5%), while wood (80.3%) andcharcoal (13.4%) remain the most widespread means of cooking. Thepopulation experiences many difficulties getting access to electricity, whichremains the most convenient source of energy. Only 14.8% of personsinterviewed found electricity very accessible to the population, whereas morethan one-third (34.4%) found electricity less accessible, and 42.2% thoughtthat electricity is inaccessible. Using these facts, government has developed astrategic framework for the energy sector and a national policy for ruralelectrification.267