Today, only 51 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa has access to clean, safe drinking water. The rest, about one in three Africans, don’t have access to water.

If the continent is to achieve water sustainability, stability, and security by 2030, African governments must invest at least $50 billion per year, according to the African Union. Current investments range between $10 and $20 billion annually, leaving a shortfall of up to $30 billion every year.

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 47 percent of the global total of people who still practice open defecation. Nearly 85 percent of Africans who defecate in the open live in rural areas.

While Africa is home to many large water bodies, including lakes, rivers, and springs, it is one of the most water-poor continents in the world. With a population of 1.5 billion, Africa accounts for only 9 percent of the total renewable freshwater resources in the world. This is equivalent to 1.3 million km² of surface freshwater. Europe, with a population of 745 million people, holds between 8 and 15 percent of the total freshwater resources in the world.

As the population continues to grow, estimated to hit 2.5 billion by 2050, and with climate change and human activity destroying water resources, supply will become even scarcer, putting millions of households in danger of drought, dehydration, and a sanitation nightmare.