- USAID is committing $3 million in funding for water and sanitation investment projects in Africa.
- The financing through African Water Facility (AWF) will be in grants and technical assistance to African countries.
- AWF assists African nations in achieving the goals and targets outlined by the African Water Vision 2025.
The African Water Facility (AWF) has received a $3 million commitment from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The financing will facilitate the planning of water and sanitation investment projects in Africa. Financing will be through grants and technical help to African nations and regional economic groups.
Housed by the African Development Bank, the African Water Facility was launched by the African Ministers Council on Water. It is the first institution in Africa fully dedicated to addressing water and sanitation challenges.
AWF assists African nations in achieving the goals and targets outlined by the African Water Vision 2025 and the water-related Sustainable Development Goals by developing creative water and sanitation projects across the continent.
Poor access to water in Africa
In Sub-Saharan Africa, access to water and sanitation has remained notably limited over the years. According to AfDB data, about 700 million people lack access to proper sanitation, while almost 400 million people lack basic water supply services.
Additionally, 750 million people lack access to hygiene, and nearly 200 million people still defecate in the open.
Read also: Quenching Africa’s Thirst: Solving the Water Crisis
Because of this, ensuring water security and sanitation for everyone calls for significant investments in water supply and sanitation, better management of water resources and operations, and the creation of infrastructure that is climate resilient.
Since its founding, the AWF has contributed $224 million in grant money to water and sanitation projects in Africa. AWF has facilitated upstream investment of approximately $1.85 billion.
The African Water Facility
“This USAID financing affirms growing international support for the African Water Facility as a trusted partner. We thank the US for the funding commitment that will contribute to scaling up the Facility’s work and positively impacting more people across the continent,” African Development Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development Beth Dunford said.
USAID hopes to provide 22 million people with access to clean water and sanitation. The objective is part of its 2022–2027 strategic plan.
To generate investments that would hasten public and private sector funding of the water sector and the deployment of innovation to enhance service delivery, the African Water Facility is raising millions of euros.
The assistance from USAID comes ahead of its October funding talks in Paris. The forum will be part of USAID’s initiatives to increase funding for water and sanitation projects in Africa. AWF will work with donors, beneficiary countries, multilateral organizations, and international organizations.
Improve water and sanitation service delivery
“The negative impacts of inadequate access to water and sanitation are seen in many countries in Africa. The African Water Facility exists to accelerate viable, climate responsive investments by providing grants, technical assistance, and developing catalytic and innovative projects to improve water and sanitation service delivery and water governance in Africa,” Coordinator for the African Water Facility Mtchera Chirwa said.
AWF will work to mobilize resources as part of its strategic plan for 2017–2025. The blueprint seeks to boost the delivery of bankable investment projects for water and sanitation in Africa.
It plans to give 2.6 million people access to a climate-resilient, safely managed water supply. It will also target a total of 2.4 million people with basic sanitation facilities.
