AfDB approves US$121.7 million loan and Euro 3 million grant to support Namibia’s water sector
The African Development Bank approved a loan of US$121.7 million (N$1.893 billion) and an additional grant of Euro 3 million (over N$55 million) from the Rural Water Supply Sanitation Initiative Trust Fund to support Namibia’s water sector.
Upon announcing the approval of the funds, the African Development Bank said the programme is critical to improve sanitation, including reducing the number of people practising open defecation.
Namibia’s ‘Water Sector Support Programme’ aims to facilitate sustainable production and transfer of water resources to improve access to potable water and for agricultural and industrial use, while also aiming to enhance sanitation in rural areas and enrich institutional capacity, sustainable management and utilization.
The programme, to be implemented over five years, entails the construction and rehabilitation of bulk water infrastructure and associated fixtures, construction of water supply schemes and climate resilient inclusive sanitation facilities, hygiene interventions and institutional capacity building initiatives.
At completion in 2024, the interventions aim to directly benefit estimated 1 million people and 250,000 indirect beneficiaries.
Government will carry out the programme through the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. The programme was initiated due to the drought experienced in the 2018/19 period, which has seen Namibia grapple with a national water crisis.
The programme further aligns to Namibia’s national development plans and seeks to increase access to sustainable water services from the current level of 85% and sanitation services from 54% to the universal 100% target by 2030.
