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Water is at the heart of health and well-being for people and nature. Access to it is a human rights issue recognised by international treaties and declarations, and national standards. It’s vital for education and economic productivity. Ultimately, it connects the environment to society.
Th most recent statistics (2020) show a general global trend of positive progress in access to water. The proportion of the global population using safely managed drinking water services increased from 70.2% in 2015 to 74.3% in 2020.
But despite this progress, in 2020, two billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water. The sub-Saharan African region has the largest numbers, with 387 million people still lacking basic drinking water services. Current coverage of access to safe drinking water is estimated at only 54% of the region’s population.
In South Africa, the right to water is enshrined in the constitution. Before the country’s transition to democracy in 1994, government policies were focused on the advancement of the white minority. The development of the country’s water resources wasn’t focused on improving the position of the mostly black, poor majority.
The country has made significant progress since 1996 in expanding water services, especially within the disadvantaged and vulnerable communities and rural areas. But inequality in access to basic services is still a reality. Progress with water supply and sanitation service delivery has been slow and in some instances, it’s deteriorating.
Water is a critical resource. Its provision should be seen as an enabler that facilitates socio-economic development. Water infrastructure needs to be suitably maintained – and upgraded – to ensure water access and reliable supply to guarantee water security.
Progress in South Africa
In 1994, about 14 million people (35%) in South Africa didn’t have basic water supply services. The minimum standard of these services is defined as clean, piped water delivered within 200 metres of a household at a minimum flow rate of 10 litres per minute, for 300 days a year, with any interruption not lasting longer than two days at a time.
Read more : https://theconversation.com/basic-water-services-in-south-africa-are-in-decay-after-years-of-progress-185616