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Access to safe drinking water and improved
sanitation by 2015
Although Zambia has serious challenges of
water pollution arising from contamination
by sewage and toxic industrial chemicals
in mining areas, the country continues to
sustain the provision of improved water
supply to urban areas, although access in
rural areas remains below 50 per cent, as
shown in Figure 4.47.
The proportion of national population without
sustainable access to an improved water
source had dropped below 40 per cent by 2008
and is on course to meet the MDG target of
25.5 per cent by 2015. With respect to sanitation,
however, the situation is getting worse, and the
proportion of the population without access to
good sanitation rose by more than 10 per cent
from 26 per cent in 1991 to 36.1 per cent in
2006, far from the target of 13 per cent by 2015
(Government of Zambia 2008).
Improve the lives of slum dwellers by 2020
Africa is the fastest urbanizing region in the
world and Zambia was the third most highly
urbanized country in southern Africa in 1990
after South Africa and Botswana (UN-HABITAT
2010). Zambia has continued to experience high
levels of rural to urban migration, as citizens
seek to benefit from urban-based employment
opportunities and infrastructure, thus putting
pressure on urban amenities and expanding
unplanned settlements. Almost three-quarters
of the urban populations live in unplanned
settlements, as shown in Figure 4.49.
The Government of Zambia progress reports
for MDGs (2008, 2011) showed that the country
has made significant progress towards reaching
all goals, except MDG 7 on environmental
sustainability, and that the pace of progress
must be accelerated.
Rural
Urban
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
Percentage
Source: AfDB 2010
Access to safe water for the urban
and rural population in Zambia
Figure 4.47
Figure 4.48
Figure 4.49
MDG target of 13% by 2015
80
Percentage
50
60
70
40
30
20
10
0
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
Proportion of population without
access to improved sanitation in Zambia
Source: Government of Zambia 2008
71.0
71.5
72.0
72.5
73.0
73.5
74.0
74.5
1990
2001
Proportion of urban dwellers living
in slum conditions in Zambia
Source: UNEP 2008
Percentage
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