The OECD’s African Economic Outlook 2007 Focuses on Access to Drinking Water and Sanitation

This annual report reviews the recent economic situation, the likely short-term evolution, and the social and political context of selected African economies. The AEO features a country-by-country analysis based on a common analytical framework and a simple macroeconomic model to provide forecasts for 2007 and 2008. It also contains a comparative synthesis of African prospects by region, placing the evolution of African economies in the context of the world economy. Combining the expertise of the African Development Bank and OECD Development Centre, the AEO is a unique tool for African and OECD-based decision makers from the public and private sector, including aid agencies, investors, and government officials of aid-recipient countries.

In 2007, the AEO's focus is on Access to Drinking Water and Sanitation. It finds that the number of people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with access to drinking water increased by 10 million per year over 1990-2004. However, population sizes have grown even faster, so the number of people without access has increased by about 60 million. The situation of sanitation is even more dramatic.

If SSA is to reach the water-related Millennium Development Goal by 2015, ambitious changes will be required: the number of people accessing water annually will need to triple. Scaling up access will require supportive institutions, legal frameworks and policies. In order to be sustainable, it will also need careful planning, so as to go hand-in-hand with economic growth and the protection of ecosystems. Local actors dealing with water management require capacity support, and better monitoring of programmes will be essential. Financing remains a central challenge. Government budgets and donor assistance remain insufficient; national water providers need to help establish a financially sustainable system; and policy makers need to explore options for more private participation.

For more information, see OECD's Resource Page.