Report Number 71743

Abstract

According to the World Bank's Africa strategy (World Bank, 2011d), Africa has an unprecedented opportunity for transformation and sustained growth. The World Bank continues primarily to support our client governments in implementing traditional water supply and water resource management projects. In mid-2010, a group of World Bank sector managers from Africa met with the water anchor to discuss whether Africa could learn more from other more urbanized regions. These papers covered the topics of urbanization; access to water and sanitation services; water resources management; flooding and disaster risk management; wastewater, drainage and solid waste management; and the potential to establish an Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) network in Africa. The team commissioned four case studies in cities in which the World Bank is actively engaged: Nairobi (Kenya), Arua and Mbale (Uganda), and Douala (Cameroon). A knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey of city leaders was carried out by two established networks in Africa, the African Water Association (AfWA) and the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA), and specialists in the field were consulted. A large database of data relevant to water management was established for 31 selected cities and maps of future urban extent for these cities created, data that did not exist before.