The Economy of Water

Photo courtesy of Stuart Franklin/Magnum Photos.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 300 million people lack access to improved water sources (JMP), the search for water exhausts time, resources, and lives. According to the United Nations Development Programme, women in Sub-Saharan Africa spend 40 billion hours per year collecting water – equivalent to a year’s worth of labor by the entire workforce in France. On top of that, treating diarrhea alone, just one of many water-related illnesses, consumes 12% of the the region’s health budget (WSSCC).

Without clean water, communities suffer from poor health, low school attendance, and reduced productive capacities – all of which harm the overall economy. But with access to clean water, communities have the tools to improve their own lives.

Facilitated access to clean water results in improved hygiene and sanitation, which then leads to savings in health care and a healthier, more productive workforce. Improved access also reduces the amount of time spent collecting water, opening up more time for women to pursue an education and earn an income. The installation of a water system the Voss Foundation funded in Pel, Mali, helped irrigate a local women’s association’s garden and doubled their income. A local clean water supply also allows young girls to attend school, instead of staying home to help their mothers fetch water. According to the World Bank, each year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10 to 20 percent.

Investing in Clean Water

The World Health Organization reports that investment in clean water per year yields:

• Health care savings of US$ 7 billion for health agencies and US$ 340 million for individuals
• 320 million productive days gained, an extra 272 million school attendance days, and an added 1.5 billion healthy days for children under 5, together representing productivity gains of US$9.9 billion
• Time savings resulting from more convenient drinking water and sanitation services totaling 20 billion working days, giving a productivity payback of some US$ 63 billion
• Value of deaths averted, based on discounted future earnings, amounting to US$ 3.6 billion

In addition to saving lives, clean water saves time and money that can help strengthen an economy. Read about our projects to learn more about how clean water is changing lives in rural Sub-Saharan communities.