World Bank finances urban water supply project in Ethiopia
April 24, 2007 (WASHINGTON) — The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) financing of US$100 in support of the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation project in Ethiopia. This IDA financing includes a credit of US$65 and a grant of US$35 million.
The Urban Water Supply and Sanitation project (UWSS) aims to increase access to
sustainable water supply and sanitation services in Addis Ababa and four
secondary cities. It will help produce more water for all customers and extend
the distribution network to areas that currently lack water service.
According to Yitbarek Tessema, the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project,
“up to 4 million urban residents in Addis and four other cities will have
increased access to potable water, and households in low-income areas will have
improved sanitation facilities.”
In Addis Ababa water production is 50 liters per capita per day (lpcd), of
which only 35 lpcd reach consumers due to water losses. In secondary cities,
only 20 of the 30 lpcd produced reach consumers.
The UWSS will increase water availability by developing new sources of safe water, expanding treatment facilities, and extending network and service connections. It will improve efficiency as well as financial and customer management, support catchments
protection measures, and instill awareness of water conservation among customers.
The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets for Ethiopia call for providing
63% of the population access to safe water supply and 58% access to improved
sanitation by 2015.
According to the 2005 MDG Needs Assessment Report (NAR) of
the Government of Ethiopia, access to safe water was 31% as of 2000 and access
to improved sanitation was 11.5 % in 2002/03.2 The project will increase access
to improved sanitation facilities, mainly for low- income, urban residents. In
doing so, it will improve drainage to avoid un-controlled sewage water
discharges to streets and paths resulting from cooking, cleaning and bathing.
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