Author/s: Sudeshna Ghosh Banerjee and Elvira Morella
Universal access to safe water and sanitation remain elusive in Africa, and the continent is unlikely to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for access to these services. Some 40 percent of the population lacks access to safe drinking water and about 60 percent lack access to safe sanitation. Meeting these challenges will require policy makers to think beyond conventional solutions to consider the role of lower cost alternatives that can potentially more affordable access to a broader population.
Growing infrastructure stocks spurred Africa’s economies between 1990 and 2005, but recent deteriorations have slowed growth. Achieving the infrastructure development of the African leader (Mauritius) would yield a substantial payoff.
Transport infrastructure is a key requirement for economic growth. In Africa today, networks are sparse, conditions poor, transit slow and accident rates high. More investment is necessary but will not of itself be sufficient. Unless it is accompanied by increased allocation of funds for maintenance and by substantial improvements in system management, high transport costs will remain a serious impediment to growth.
Author/s: Alvaro Escribano, J. Luis Guasch, and Jorge Pena
Poor quality of infrastructure has a strong negative effect on total factor productivity Africa’s slow-growing countries, whereas other factors (red tape, corruption, crime) have a greater effect than infrastructure in faster-growing countries.
Author/s: Anton Eberhard, Orvika Rosnes, Maria Shkaratan, and Haakon Vennemo
Chronic power problems impede growth and productivity in more than 30 African countries. These include inadequate generation capacity, limited electrification, unreliable service, and exorbitant costs. Turning around Africa’s power sector would entail huge investment, as well as decisive policy reforms to improve the efficiency of power utilities. A sound regional system for trading power is key to harnessing the continent’s hydropower potential and expanding the use of other efficient generating technologies.