Africa
A continent of need
Straddling the equator, Africa is the world’s second largest and second most populous continent, with more than 900 million people. More than 50 countries comprise the continent and the islands along its coast. Economically, the countries of Africa face an uphill battle. Half the people in sub-Saharan Africa live in poverty. On average, Africans live on less than 70 cents a day. Large portions of the population are malnourished and lack adequate water supplies and sanitation facilities. Africa is, unfortunately, the continent of most concern for water supply, as Millennium Development Goal targets are slowly slipping away for a range of reasons, including continued project failure. Sanitation targets are also off-track.
But there is reason for hope. Positive gains are being made in locations and the focus on Africa is intense. One area that must be acknowledged regarding solving the problem of project failure is the FLOW application. This online, open-source monitoring system allows a wide variety of people to input status on water points and sanitation, so that we can all see what works and what doesn't and improve things. Learn more about FLOW.
