Water scarcity and urban Africa: an overview of urban-rural water linkages

A first review of urban Africa's dependence on larger landscapes for water is presented. Tables document: changing water sources between 1970s and 1990s; industrial and domestic wastewater treatment and disposal; electricity generation's dependence on water. Nearby groundwater and rivers were used in the 1970s; increasingly distant sources supplied the 1990s. Domestic and industrial wastes pollute groundwater and rivers. Africa's electricity depends upon large amounts of water, as dammed rivers or for power plant operation. Preserving urban Africa's scarce water supplies requires recognition of urban-rural water cycle linkages and holistic, coordinated, and equitable regional policies and practices that support ecosystem function.