The Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) has on Saturday September 19, 2020, approved the sum of US$40 million for the implementation of the Freetown WASH & Aquatic Environment Revamping Project.
The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately US$189.2 million dollars and is designed to be jointly funded by the African Development Bank (ADB), Organization for Petroleum Exporting Fund for International Development (OFID), Kuwait Fund, Saudi Fund, Green Climate Fund (GCF), Adaption Fund (AF), and ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), in addition to parallel co-financing from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
The Government of Sierra Leone is expected to provide in-kind contribution estimated at about Le 35 billion in addition its mandatory obligation of implementing the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), estimated to be in the region of Le 5 billion.
The project will be implemented by Guma Valley Water Company. The project components include: Institutional Development and Infrastructure.
The Infrastructure will be focused on the Rehabilitation and expansion of water production capacity and distributing network; Construction of fecal sludge management facilities; and Service connections for the urban poor.
The Institutional Development component will include functional analysis and re-organization of Guma Valley Water Company, as well as the design of utility performance improvement tools. Technical assistance and equipment will also be provided to enable Guma Valley water Company to improve its services.
The Project Management component will provide for the incremental utility operational costs arising from project implementation.
The objectives of the project are to: Provide sustainable access to safe drinking water and improve sanitation to the residents of Freetown and the Western Area; and Strengthen the Government’s capacity to facilitate urban water sector reform and improve performance across the Western Area.
The direct benefits of the project will be: The increase in safe water supply by 15% and improved sanitation coverage by 7% in Freetown and Western Area – covering 99% of the population; Improved capacity of Guma Valley Water Company.
The indirect benefits will include, but not necessarily limited to: reduction in the prevalence rates of waterborne diseases, especially cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea; a significant reduction in health costs and time for collecting water which translate into substantial savings for the urban poor; the easing of the burden of fetching water which is one of the most arduous tasks for women and young girls; the development of income-generating activities for women given the free time accruing from the reduced burden of fetching water; an increase in the enrolment ratio, especially for girls, and in the female literacy rate; the reduction in social conflicts related to water use; the promotion of local governance and decentralization; the efficient management and maintenance of water supply and sanitation facilities; and human capacity building and the creation of jobs in water management through the involvement of private operators in the construction, management, repair and maintenance of water supply facilities.
It could be recalled that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the Ministry of Finance between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Islamic Development Bank on 20th February, 2020 for a loan of $50 million of which $10 million will go to SLRA and the rest to Guma.
By Stephen V. Lansana
22/09/2020. ISSUE NO: 7923