Many rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa still lack clean water for basic needs such as drinking and washing. Even where water points have been constructed, many break down prematurely or provide inadequate, seasonal or poor-quality water supplies.

Global shifts in water and sanitation will have a profound effect on societies and economies. Other transformations are shaping these shifts, including where people live, what they expect from governments and markets, their productive and polluting activities, how they innovate and whether they pursue conflict or peace.