In general, only 10 per cent of the wastewater generated in the world receives some form of treatment (Thebo et al. 2017). Africa has particularly low coverage of wastewater treatment. The use of untreated, partially treated or diluted wastewater occurs downstream of urban areas in four out of five cities in the developing world and is usually driven by farmers’ lack of alternative water sources and/or search for nutrients (Thebo et al. 2017). This often informal reuse of wastewater benefits farmers and the local economies and contributes to increasing the food supply. To mitigate associated risks and protect public health, it is important to apply the multiple-barrier approach as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2006.
From collection: Sanitation and Wastewater Atlas of Africa - Circular Economy