Ethiopie : water, the development’s key

A small, but growing number of people think that a looming shortage of drinking water constitutes a much larger crisis. Water consumption is doubling every twenty years, but the supply isn't growing at the same rate.

Three billion people in the world don't have easy access to a toilet and thousands of kids die a day from water-related complications.

By 2035, as many as three billion people may live in areas with severe water shortages, especially if they live in Africa, the Middle East, or South Asia, predicts the World Bank.
Too much or too little water can spell disaster in the world’s poorest nations. It’s the case of Ethiopia which is an agriculture-driven country.

Indeed, despite improvements, Ethiopia remains one of the poorest nations in the world. Life expectancy at birth in 2004 was 48 years, while 46% of the population was undernourished between 2001 and 2003.

Moreover, coverage levels for water and sanitation in Ethiopia are among the lowest in the world. According to official figures, 31 per cent of households have access to safe water, and 18 per cent of households have access to sanitation facilities.

In addition to low coverage levels, water quality is another major problem, as evidenced by frequent outbreaks of water related epidemics in both rural and urban areas. Contamination of water supplies by cattle dung and human excreta is frequent. High fluoride levels in water are a particular problem in the Rift Valley regions of the country.

The main problem is increased susceptibility to water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea and dysentery, water-washed diseases such as trachoma and scabies, water-based diseases such as schistosomiasis, and water-related insect vectors including malaria. In Ethiopia, an estimated three-quarter of the health problems of children and communicable diseases, originate from the environment.

Low levels of water and sanitation coverage also have important social