Africa’s Emerging Urban Water Challenges 37
supplies for hydropower (see Table 1.5). In a water crisis with water rationing, the urban poor are disproportionately affected as they have no storage. Climate change and variability are likely to give rise to more climate extremes. The cost of inaction might be high. Table 1.5 Estimated Cost of Droughts and Floods in Kenya Attribute
Drought
Effect Crop loss Livestock loss
Associated cost Crop loss Livestock deaths, veterinary costs, reduced livestock production, conflict management Forest destruction and damage Reduced aquaculture production Increased generation cost and need to import substitute Loss of production
Forest fires Fishery damage Reduced hydropower generation Reduced industrial production Impaired water supply Increased water collection time, time loss due to conflict management meetings, cost of water vendor in Nairobi
Total droughts
Estimated cost (US$ million) 241 138
— — 642 1,400 508
2,929 Damage to infrastructure
Floods Public health hazard Crop loss
Damaged water systems, road networks, communications, and buildings Treatment costs Crop loss and reduced production
Total floods
822
56 — 878
Source: World Bank, 2005. Note: Estimated costs due to floods are for 1997–98 events. Estimated costs due to droughts are for 1998–2000 events. — = not available.
Lack of Data Complicates Finding Solutions Water resource data are deficient. There are few gauging stations for precipitation and surface-water levels; existing stations are often not functional. There are even less data on groundwater (MacDonald et al., 2011), and the impacts of climate variability and anthropogenic factors