Water Risk Country Profile: Eritrea.
Between 2019 and 2024, Eritrea recorded the largest improvement in water risk of any low-income country in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019, it held the fourth worst water risk score globally; by 2024 it had improved to 25th. Although still classified as high risk, sustained government initiatives have expanded water access nationwide and reduced some exposure to water scarcity . In recent decades, access to safe drinking water has risen dramatically, from just 13% of the population in the early 1990s to nearly 85 per cent in 2024. More than half of schools now have access to drinking water and sanitation facilities, and infrastructure investment has expanded the number of dams from 138 in 1993 to nearly 800 today. A further 17 dam projects have been planned for the country, demonstrating the government’s continued commitment to improving water security . Despite these new dams, Eritrea remains heavily dependent on groundwater, which supplies freshwater for nearly 80 per cent of the popul...