<P> Included in the category of physical scarcity is the issue of overexploitation . This is contributing to the shrinking of many of Africa's great lakes, including the Nakivale, Nakuru, and Lake Chad, which has shrunk to 10% of its former volume . In terms of policy, the incentives for overuse are among the most damaging, especially concerning ground water extraction . For ground water, once the pump is installed, the policy of many countries is to only constrain removal based on the cost of electricity, and in many cases subsidize electricity costs for agricultural uses, which damages incentives to conserve such resources . Additionally, many countries within Africa set the cost of water well below cost - recovery levels, thus discouraging efficient usage and threatening sustainability . </P> <P> The majority of Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from economic scarcity because of the population's lack of the necessary monetary means to utilize adequate sources of water . Both political reasons and ethnic conflict have contributed to this unequal distribution of resources . Out of the two forms of water scarcity, economic scarcity can be addressed quickly and effectively with simple infrastructure to collect rainwater from roofs and dams, but this requires economic resources that many of these areas lack due to an absence of industrial development and widespread poverty . </P> <P> Northern Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa are progressing towards the Millennium Development Goal on water at different paces . While Northern Africa has 92% safe water coverage, Sub-Saharan Africa remains at a low 60% of coverage--leaving 40% of the 783 million people in that region without access to clean drinking water . </P> <P> Some of these differences in clean water availability can be attributed to Africa's extreme climates . Although Sub-Saharan Africa has a plentiful supply of rainwater, it is seasonal and unevenly distributed, leading to frequent floods and droughts . Additionally, prevalent economic development and poverty issues, compounded with rapid population growth and rural - urban migration have rendered Sub-Saharan Africa as the world's poorest and least developed region . Thus, this poverty constrains many cities in this region from providing clean water and sanitation services and preventing the further deterioration of water quality even when opportunities exist to address these water issues . Additionally, the rapid population growth leads to an increased number of African settlements on flood - prone, high - risk land . </P>

Why is there a water shortage in africa