A Water Crisis Threatens Ghana's Economic Growth

 Water—or the lack of it—is one of the biggest issues facing urban Africa, which will see a 66 percent population increase to 1.2 billion people by 2050, according to the United Nations. Although water shortages have long plagued parts of the continent, they’ve become the potential killer of Africa’s economic takeoff. The country’s network of aging water pipes, some of which date back to 1914, does not meet the increasing demand. The lack of water in Accra, Ghana's capital, affects women and children most. The women and children wake up early in the morning because it takes up to an hour to fetch water from a public pipe stand or well. The children are late for school, and women, who often prepare food for a living, may struggle to be ready for their customers.
Ghana Water is working with foreign investors, including Denys, a Belgian company that’s building a €341 million ($438 million) treatment plant, and Befesa Agua, a Spanish-Ghanaian company spending $115 million on a desalination plant. The long-term success of Ghana’s economy may depend on these efforts.
In my opinion, Ghana should also ask for helps from neighboring countries to deliver clean water into the countries to solve with the lack of water during the tough times. Meanwhile, foreign investors should not only invest in building plants to support water supply but they should also help with the water pipes system.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-11/a-water-crisis-threatens-ghanas-economic-growth#r=glo-s