Water is a precious natural resource, vital for life, development and the environment. It can be a matter of life and death, depending on how it occurs and how it is managed. When there is too much or too little, it can bring destruction, misery or death. Irrespective of how it occurs, if properly managed, it can be an instrument for economic survival and growth. It can be an instrument for poverty alleviation, lifting people out of the degradation of having to live without access to safe water and sanitation, while at the same time bringing prosperity to all on the continent (Box 14.1).
