<P> The Human Development Report goes on to that explain that because of Africa's dependence on rain - fed agriculture, widespread poverty, and weak capacity, the water issues caused by climate change impact the continent much more violently compared to developed nations that have the resources and economic diversity to deal with such global changes . This heightened potential for drought and falling crop yields will most likely lead to increased poverty, lower incomes, less secure livelihoods, and an increased threat of chronic hunger for the poorest people in sub-Saharan Africa . Overall this means that water stress caused by changing amounts of precipitation is particularly damaging to Africa and thus climate change is one of the major obstacles the continent must face when trying to secure reliable and clean sources of water . </P> <P> Water scarcity is both a natural and human - made phenomenon . It is thus essential to break it down into two general types: Economic scarcity and physical scarcity . Economic scarcity refers to the fact that finding a reliable source of safe water is time consuming and expensive . Alternatively, physical scarcity is when there simply is not enough water within a given region . </P> <P> The 2006 United Nations Economic Commission for Africa estimates that 300 million out of the 800 million who live on the African continent live in a water - scarce environment . Specifically in the very north of Africa, as well the very south of Africa, the rising global temperatures accompanying climate change have intensified the hydrological cycle that leads to drier dry seasons, thus increasing the risk of more extreme and frequent droughts . This significantly impacts the availability, quality and quantity of water due to reduced river flows and reservoir storage, lowering of water tables and drying up of aquifers in the northern and southern regions of Africa . </P> <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>

Why is there a shortage of water in africa