togo: drinking water
"the water
supply is none of the private sector's
business; it must be ensured by public,
decentralized services".
Jean-Luc Touly - a Vivendi employee who
created the Association for the Global
Water Contract (ACME).
Of Togo's 4.5 million inhabitants, 70%
suffer bitterly from lack of water. Several
factors contribute, amongst them
increasingly low levels of forest cover and
a poor river system - practically all
rivers stop flowing during the dry season.
The usual sources of water in rural areas
are watercourses and wells, while public
fountains, domestic connections, and wells
provide water for urban populations.
In rural zones, most people have to
travel very long distances to find water,
affecting their economy and their health.
Women and children, who are normally in
charge of collecting water, have to spend
many hours waiting their turn to get just a
few litres. Thus children are late for
school and women have less time for other
commercial and domestic activities. More
often than not the water collected is not
fit for human consumption, but people
rarely take the necessary steps to make it
potable.
In urban areas, people have access to
water distribution systems. Until 2003,
water services were provided by the Régie
Nationale des Eaux du Togo (RNET). After
2003 this responsibility was transferred to
the Société Togolaise des Eaux (TDE) and
the role of the state – which previously
ensured water provision - was considerably
diminished. The commercialization of
Togolese water services ultimately led to
an increase in the price of water for
consumers. At the same time, however,
privatization does not appear to have
improved the numbers of people connected to
the water distribution system.
Friends of the Earth Togo aims to
encourage people to participate in
development, for the benefit of present and
future generations, by supporting the
sustainable management of water
resources.
more information
Friends of the Earth
Togo
