Time for Africa to rise to water shortage challenges

This week marks World Water Day, and I am personally endorsing a report by African scientists that examines our continent's water resources and calls for our political leaders to work more closely with Africa's scientific community to develop answers to the challenges we face.

Water is essential for life. Safe, abundant water is vital to our ability to prosper and to fulfil our potential. Without it, we face a continual decline in our well-being, poverty and hunger, and increasing levels of conflict.

Across Africa, a third of us have no access to clean water, and almost two thirds no access to clean sanitation, causing widespread suffering from malaria, typhoid, dysentery and many other diseases. Apart from this effect upon our health, the loss of productivity that results from water-related illnesses holds back our progress.

Editor's Comment
Closure as pain lingers

March 28 will go down as a day that Batswana will never forget because of the accident that occurred near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo, South Africa. The tragedy affected not only the grieving families but the nation at large. Batswana throughout the process stood behind the grieving families and the governments of Botswana and South Africa need much more than a pat on the back.Last Saturday was a day when family members said their last goodbyes to...

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