Senegal Poor Spend More Than Rich for Water, UN Envoy Observes

People living in Senegal’s economically disadvantaged cramped suburbs lacking running water at home can pay up to four times more for water than rich households, U N water and sanitation expert said.

People living in Senegal’s economically disadvantaged cramped suburbs lacking running water at home can pay up to four times more for water than rich households, United Nations water and sanitation expert said on Monday.

UN special envoy Catarina de Albuquerque, speaking to journalists after a seven-day mission in Senegal, urged the west African nation to boost investment in water and sanitation, as current budgetary allocations are "insufficient".

World Water Day � 'Water and Sanitation for Life'
A special report on World Water Day, 2008. This year has been declared as the International year of Sanitation.

"I noticed that the poorest are forced to pay much more than the better-off for water ... up to four times more," said De Albuquerque, a Portuguese national.

"Some families who fetch their water from street fountains spend up to 20 percent of their monthly income on water services" while the internationally accepted standard is between three and seven percent, she said.

This takes money away from spending on other priorities such as health and education.

New Report on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Released by WHO
Safer Water for Better Health is the first-ever report providing country-by-country estimates of the burden of disease due to poor water, sanitation and hygiene.

She noted however that "considerable efforts" made by Senegal in recent years had allowed the country to provide 87.2 percent of the country with running water in 2010 compared to 69 percent in 2008.

"The Senegalese government has often said that sanitation is a priority but this has not been matched bby sufficient budgetary allocations."

Inadequate Sanitation the Cry of More Than Two Billion People: UN
A UN reports states that more than two billion people around the world still lack adequate sanitation.

Alhaji Dieng, an official from the Senegalese Water Company said water coverage in urban areas is 98.5 percent, with street fountains providing for 12.2 percent of this figure.

Africa's westernmost state, Senegal is also one of the continent's most stable governments, however poverty is widespread and unemployment hovers at around 48 percent.

Lowly Latrines, a Far Better Solution to Global Sanitation
A lowly latrine could be a far better solution in keeping sewage safely separate from drinking water for the developing world, say researchers.

Source-AFP