Zambia has secured a $13.2 million loan from the African Development Fund to enhance access to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene for 460,000 residents in Kabwe and Bauleni. The project also aims to bolster the resilience of these communities to climate change impacts.
This initiative, approved by the Board of Directors of the African Development Fund on July 17, 2024, in Abidjan, is additionally supported by the European Union. The EU is contributing a $6.05 million grant through the Nexus Energy and Water Programme for Zambia, part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
‘The project aims to improve access to better-quality water and sanitation services in Kabwe (in central Zambia) and Bauleni (a district of Lusaka city) and increase the operational and financial efficiency of water and sanitation providers in Lukanga (Centre) and the capital, Lusaka,’ explained Raubil Durowoju, head of the African Development Bank Group’s Country Office in Zambia.
Key components of the project include the rehabilitation of the Mulungushi water purification plant in Kabwe. This involves abstracting water from the river, upgrading the pipework for untreated water, and replacing obsolete treatment and pumping equipment to relaunch production of 37,500 cubic metres of drinking water per day. The project also plans to improve the water transport and distribution pipe networks with an extension of over 70 km, and to build and equip five boreholes in Kalulu (south-west) and Mukobeko (centre) in Kabwe.
Innovative measures such as the use of renewable energy technologies and the introduction of smart meters will help reduce operating costs through the installation of energy-efficient equipment in the water production and supply system. The project will also collaborate with partners like UNICEF to strengthen water, sanitation, and hygiene services, and to raise awareness on integrated nutrition, hygiene services, climate resilience, and waste management for at least 10,000 people.
The African Development Bank’s extensive experience in Zambia’s water sector, dating back to the late 1970s, positions it as a key partner in supporting the Zambian government’s efforts. The Bank’s first intervention in 1979 was a water and sanitation project in five provincial centres, aimed at improving services in Choma, Kalomo, Livingstone, and Monze in the south. Since then, the Bank has supported 14 projects to ensure long-term security of water supply and sanitation services in Zambia.
This latest project underscores the continued commitment to improving essential services and addressing climate resilience, marking a significant step towards sustainable development in Zambia.
Credit; Africabriefing
