SENEGAL – The World Bank has approved US$200 million in financing to help Senegal improve sanitation services and water resources in key water security hotspots.
This funding is part of the first phase of the Integrated Water Security and Sanitation Program for Senegal (PISEA), which aims to improve access to drinking water and sanitation and build resilience to flood and drought risks.
“Reliable sanitation services provided under the first phase of PISEA will primarily benefit 600,000 inhabitants in greater Dakar,” said Keiko Miwa, World Bank Country Director for Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal.
“More than seven million people nationwide will benefit from improved water management, including 3,000 farmers who can use treated wastewater to irrigate 600 hectares of land. And it will also help improve the Lac de Guiers water supply system.”
The funds will expand sanitation services in east Dakar and promote the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation.
Stéphane Dahan, World Bank Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist noted that PISEA will include the design and construction of sewage systems in parts of Pikine and Guédiawaye in greater Dakar and an activated sludge treatment plant equipped with a tertiary treatment system.
The treated water will be redirected to the rural area of Niayes, where an irrigation distribution network will be built.
Other financing components include groundwater recharge, reduction of non-revenue water loss, promoting citizen engagement, and preparation of key sector reforms.
This project is financed by the International Development Association (IDA), a World Bank institution that supports countries in their development efforts.
This is the first phase of the 10-year Multiphase Programmatic Approach operation for PISEA, representing a total investment of US$800 million.
World Bank approves US$208M for Zambia’s drought response
In another development, the World Bank has approved a US$208 million grant for Zambia to help address the social and economic impact of drought that has hit the southern African nation, its finance ministry said.
Southern Africa is enduring its worst drought in years, owing to a combination of naturally occurring El Nino – when abnormal warming of waters in the eastern Pacific radiates heat into the air, leading to hotter weather worldwide – and higher average temperatures produced by greenhouse gas emissions.
Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe have all declared a state of disaster because of the drought, which has hit food production and livelihoods of millions of people.
The World Bank grant is intended to help Zambia effectively respond to the impact of drought by providing additional temporary cash payments to affected households.
“Specifically, it will support at least over 1.6 million households across 84 drought-impacted districts with emergency cash assistance over 12 months,” Zambia’s finance ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said that the World Bank financing would also strengthen existing social protection programs.
Last month, the International Monetary Fund’s board approved a request from the Zambian government to increase its financial support to Zambia from US$1.7 billion to US$1.3 billion to help the nation respond to the drought.
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