Publication: African Utilities during COVID-19: Challenges and Impacts
Date
2021-08-12
ISSN
Published
2021-08-12
Author(s)
Balabanyan, Ani
Semikolenova, Yadviga
Hankinson, Denzel
Nash, Stephen
Parcels, Christopher
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred
unprecedented economic disruption globally. The full scope
of the virus’s impact on human health and economic activity
remains to be seen, but two things are clear: (1) the most
fragile economies, and most vulnerable segments of the
world’s population, are least able to mitigate the impact,
and (2) reliable and affordable utility services,
electricity, water and sanitation, and internet and
telephony, are critically important in slowing the spread of
the virus. Many utility service providers in Sub-Saharan
Africa were, in 2019, already under financial duress. The
COVID-19 health crisis has and will continue to exacerbate
such duress and jeopardize their ability to provide
essential services. As the region faces its first recession
in a quarter century, economic growth is expected to decline
from 2.4 percent in 2019 to between –2.1 and –5.1 percent in
2020. Fiscal deficits are projected to widen amid falling
government revenues. The harmful impacts on the energy
sectors of the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa are expected
to far exceed those on other sectors.
Citation
“Balabanyan, Ani; Semikolenova, Yadviga; Hankinson, Denzel; Nash, Stephen; Parcels, Christopher. 2021. African Utilities during COVID-19 : Challenges and Impacts. Utility Performance and Behavior in Africa Today;. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/36179 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”