admin
Business Reporter
The African Development Bank has availed a $34 million grant to Zimbabwe for the implementation of Bulawayo’s Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project.
The grant aims to ameliorate the health and social well-being of the people of Bulawayo which is the second most populous city and a major economic hub.
In a statement yesterday, AFDB said the project will be implemented within 48 months and will focus on rehabilitating and enhancing water supply systems.
“The Board has approved $34,93 million for Bulawayo’s Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project ,which aims to ameliorate the health and social well-being of the people in Bulawayo, the second most populous city in Zimbabwe and a major economic hub, by improving its municipal water supply and sanitation services.
“Bulawayo, like many urban centres in Zimbabwe, has been affected by years of under investment in maintenance of its water and sewerage infrastructure due to a long economic and social crisis in the country,” said the Bank.
“The project, to be implemented in 48 months from January next year, will focus on rehabilitating and enhancing the water supply system, strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing service delivery and efficiency and improvement of environmental sanitation.”
Under the facility, Zimbabwe and Chad will benefit from combined grants amounting to $53,24 million approved by Executive Directors of AFDB for funding of a water project and a financial reform programme, respectively.
These would be achieved through targeted investment and intervention in critical aspects of the water and sanitation infrastructure, as well as relevant institutional and capacity building by providing safe water and ensuring safe disposal of sewage, improving the efficiency of water and sanitation infrastructure and enhancing operational and financial efficiency of service delivery.
Some of the key outcomes are improved household access to municipal water supply, reduced environmental pollution from raw sewage, and improved utility efficiency.
When completed, the project will benefit directly 471 798 people in Bulawayo and of these about 75 000 people previously isolated from basic services will gain access to water supply.
In terms of sanitation intervention, the whole city will benefit from the rehabilitated public latrines, hygiene education and improved maintenance capacity, whereas the intervention on sewer reticulation and treatment works will benefit about 471 798 people living in the affected catchments, thus eliminating health hazard.
The beneficiaries in the project area have been engaged during the design of the project and will be involved during implementation to enhance social accountability and partnership.
The project is anchored on the Updated Country Brief (2014-2016) through the emphasis for critical service delivery in the water and sanitation sector.
It is also consistent with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation, the Government’s blueprint for development in which infrastructure and utilities is one of the four pillars of the plan.
“It is consistent to the Bank’s engagement and role in Zimbabwe in reducing fragility and building resiliency through its capacity-building initiatives, improving Government delivery of basic services particularly to vulnerable groups, and facilitating and leading the country’s re-engagement process with the international community so as to improve development prospects.
“This is in complete alignment with the Bank’s Strategy for Enhanced Engagement in Fragile States,” said the Bank.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $37,075 million and the Bank’s $34,93 million grant derived from Transition Support Facility represents 90 percent of the funding.
The remaining 10 percent will be provided by the Government of Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter