Rural migration in developing countries, in addition to the natural expansion of the population, is an additional challenge in the management of drinking water. An eloquent example is that of the population of Bamako (Mali), which has nearly doubled in ten years, representing an annual increase of some 90,000 new inhabitants.

Under conditions such as these, scheduling the construction of drinking water points, or any other type of health or social infrastructure (schools, electricity network, sanitation systems, etc.) is a genuine headache for the engineering departments of countries with a widespread rural exodus. I It also explains why people deserting villages to move to the cities has weighed even more heavily in developing countries on infrastructures that are frequently underdeveloped as well.

A French hydrogeologist working in Bamako acknowledges that enormous efforts have been made in recent years to provide access to drinking water for people living in the capital. Given the speed of urbanisation, however, the situation of the infrastructures used for water management is sometimes critical. But according to the hydrogeologist, the main problem lies in the fact that for years, "most of the investments have simply been used to keep up with the needs created by the natural increase in the population". This being so, the proximity of the River Niger makes Bamako privileged in contrast to cities such as Nouakchott (Mauritania), which will soon have to pump water from the River Senegal, more than 200 km away. Nonetheless, the water of the river Niger will still have to be treated, which involves the extremely expensive construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, and the overhaul of its water supply pipes and reservoirs.

Faced with similar demographic expansion, the city of Zanzibar in Tanzania is the subject of an innovative project between Google and the UN Habitat advisory group. The project is designed to improve access to information on water coverage of the city. Specifically, users can report defects in water supply systems via their mobile phones, and the reports will soon be available on an information website.

The UN Habitat advisory group will provide the city of Zanzibar with technical assistance for project management and help develop a strategy for managing water demand and monitoring local water resources. To carry out the project, Zanzibar will have the benefit of financial support of some 65 million dollars from the African Development Bank.

In parallel, through the Water for African Cities Programme, the UN Habitat advisory group is also at work on implementing pilot initiatives designed to improve the recovery of rain water and on identifying alternative energy sources in Zanzibar to eliminate the cost of pumping water.

As in Zanzibar, the hydrogeologist has therefore appealed to various backers so that projects to secure the drinking water supply can be set up in Bamako.

For more information:

• Read the article "Water and Sanitation: Mali’s growing investment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals"
• Read the article on The East African, 08/02/2010
• Visit the website of the UN Habitat advisory group
• More information about the partnership between Google and UN-HABITAT