NAIROBI, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- African countries should triple investments in water and sanitation in order to realize resilient and inclusive growth, said an executive of an organization affiliated with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Thursday.
Catarina de Albuquerque, the chief executive officer of the Sanitation and Water for All Global Partnership, said that by investing in these basic services, African nations stand to gain from reduced poverty, gender parity, stability and climate resilience.
"To achieve universal access to clean drinking water and sanitation by 2030, African countries should mobilize 30 billion U.S. dollars annually," Albuquerque said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
She noted that the continent loses 170 billion dollars annually from water stress and poor sanitation which is to blame for spreading infectious diseases including cholera and typhoid.
Albuquerque, who is the first UN special rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, called for political goodwill and innovative financing to ensure these essential services are available to all citizens in Africa.
She emphasized that for the continent to be resilient to climatic shocks and reduce infant deaths, governments must tackle financing bottlenecks that are to blame for low water and sanitation coverage. "We cannot achieve climate goals if countries are facing water scarcity. We cannot improve healthcare when more children under five are dying from contaminated water than bullets in war," Albuquerque remarked.
A joint UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) report launched at the World Water Forum held in Senegal in March 2022 indicated that 418 million people in Africa lacked access to safe drinking water while 779 million had no access to basic sanitation.
Albuquerque said the scenario is improving amid positive gestures by the continent's political leaders, policymakers and industry to prioritize investments in water and sanitation infrastructure.
Early this year, nine African governments announced they are working on Presidential Compacts on Water and Sanitation that focus on increased budgetary allocation, and innovative sources of financing for new infrastructure, Albuquerque said.
Albuquerque noted that every dollar invested in climate-resilient water and sanitation systems in Africa has the potential to yield seven dollars while micro loans, domestic taxes, and equitable tariffs can be leveraged to tackle financing gaps. She stressed that a friendly policy and regulatory environment, improved performance and transparency among utilities are key to spurring investments in Africa's water and sanitation sectors.
