Egypt: Lack of modern sanitation systems threatens groundwater, health

Nearly all Egyptians - 98 percent of the population - have access to piped water but only some have proper sanitation facilities. Not much attention has been paid to the effective and safe disposal of sewage, especially in rural areas, say specialists.

In rural areas - deserts and agricultural areas alike - only 58 percent of inhabitants have access to any kind of sanitation, said Rania El-Essawi, water, environment and sanitation officer at the Cairo office of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Most rural sanitation is primitive, and does not involve a proper sewage system.

A recent report by Water Aid ranks Egypt the 16th worst place in the world sanitation table.

The UN water and sanitation Millennium Development Goal implies that Egypt must provide sanitation to 77 percent of its 80 million people by 2015, El-Essawi said. Currently at 70 percent, Egypt appears to be on track, she added.

Yet numbers alone do not tell the full story. The type of sanitation, its potential for contaminating groundwater, its impact on human health, attitudes, education and behavioural change are important factors.