AfDB Invests USD 1000 Million African in Water Sector

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved 3 projects in the water sector in the last few weeks amounting to USD 114.35 Million. The Bank strongly believes supporting the sector is important to enhancing economic growth, improving living conditions as well as the health and education sectors of beneficiary countries.

The approved projects are in Kenya, Mozambique and Sierra Leone.

Kenya’s Nairobi Rivers Rehabilitation and Restoration Program was approved by the Bank on 6 December 2010. The USD 53.4 million project grant is designed to improve the sewerage system and services through the collection, evacuation and treatment of wastewater. The project will benefit  3.5 million people to be connected to the Nairobi’s sanitation network by 2015. It will improve

• Their health and living conditions by contributing to a healthier environment
• Water and sanitation coverage throughout the country. The Bank has a long experience in the water and sanitation sector in Kenya.

The grant, from the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional window of the AfDB, will contribute to job creation, poverty reduction and better living conditions.

Mozambique’s National Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program was approved on 9 November 2010. It comprises a USD 8.3-million loan and  a USD 8.3-million African Development Fund (ADF) grant. Approximately 500,000 inhabitants of two rural areas— Nampula and Zambezia – will benefit from the project. It is expected to increase the number of people who will have access to water in rural areas from 55% to 70% and those who have access to sanitation from 40% to 50 %. The AfDB has fully supported Mozambique’s water and sanitation sector since 1981. The Bank is among the largest and most active donors in the sector.

Funding for Sierra Leone’s Towns Water and Sanitation Project was approved by the Bank on 26 October 2010, to the tune of USD 44.4-million. The amount comprises a USD 22.9 million grant and a USD 9.5 million ADF loan as well as a USD 12- million grant from the Fragile States Facility.. The project is designed to improve access to water and sanitation in the country’s three major towns where water and sanitation infrastructure was destroyed during the civil war. Bo, Kenema and Makeni towns account for 10% of Sierra Leone’s population but only 5% of the people have access to water. The project will help increase access to water throughout the country from 33% to 75% by 2015.

This article was originally posted on Africa Sustainable Energy & Environment Platform

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