Infrastructure and Poverty in Sub-saharan Africa

Infrastructure and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa analyzes the extent to which, how, and how fast the infrastructure needs of the poor have been met in Sub-Saharan Africa. Estache and Wodon explore the extent to which some key policies have hurt or helped progress in trying to speed the expansions of coverage so clearly needed in the region. They focus on electricity, water, sanitation, and other services at the core of the day-to-day needs of the population, examining the extent to which reforms of the last 15-20 years have managed to reduce the infrastructure gap. They anchor their analysis on the evidence available about the macroeconomic importance of infrastructure for the region, the policies that have been adopted to accelerate coverage, and a detailed assessment of the poverty dimensions of infrastructure.

Antonio Estache is Professor of Public and Regulatory Economics at Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, and affiliated with the European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES) and with the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Prior to becoming a full time academic in 2008, he worked for 25 years for the World Bank advising governments on restructuring, privatization and regulation of infrastructure industries (including energy). He has published extensively on the sector.

Quentin Wodon is Adviser and Cluster Leader in the Education Department at the World Bank. Previously, he managed the Bank's unit working on faith and development, served as Lead Poverty Specialist for West and Central Africa, and as Economist/Senior Economist in the Latin America region. Before joining the World Bank, he worked for Procter & Gamble, the International Movement ATD Fourth World, and the University of Namur. He has published more than 300 books and articles, mostly on poverty and economic development.

1. Introduction
PART I: INFRASTRUCTURE, GROWTH AND THE MDGS
2. Infrastructure, Growth, and Country Strategies
3. Infrastructure and the MDGs
4. Africa's Infrastructure Investment Needs
PART II: ARE HOUSEHOLD NEEDS BEING MET?
5. Where Do We Stand on Service Coverage for Households?
6. How Big of a Problem is Access for the Poor?
7. Are Infrastructure Services Affordable for all Users?
8. Are Quality and Production Costs a Problem?
PART III: WHAT DID PAST REFORMS ACHIEVE AND WHAT'S NEXT?
9. Markets, Institutions, and Reforms
10. Reforming Prices and Subsidies in the Interest of the Poor
11. Towards an African Infrastructure Strategy Meeting the Needs of the Poor