The agencies also committed themselves to extending sustainable services to the poor. The two agencies have collaborated closely in the preparation and implementation of water and sanitation projects in Benin, Burkina Faso and Malawi. According to the two agencies, over 250 million people, half of Africa's population do not have access to safe drinking water and almost 300 million do not have adequate sanitation. A large part of Sub-Saharan Africa is threatened by growing scarcity of water, deterioration of water quality, increasing costs, and conflicts among users. The World Atlas of Desertification summarizes the current state of scientific knowledge on the drylands of the globe and portrays the seriousness of the accelerating problem of desertification.
Most maps show land.
The new edition has been expanded to cover related environmental issues, including concerns about biodiversity, climate change and the availability of water. The Atlas also includes new estimates of population in the areas at risk as well as a study on the impact of desertification on migration and refugees. Though older persons are not specifically excluded, the tend to be invisible on the international development agenda, according to a new report of the Secretary-General on preparations for the commemoration of 1999 as the International Year for Older Persons. Developed and developing countries are adopting converging strategies geared towards productive or active ageing, according to the report. It is based on the simple idea that both individual behaviour and national policy, which affect people at different ages, but especially the young, will shape the situation of people in older age.