The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a donation of €34.27 million to Chad to implement the second phase of the semi-urban and rural drinking water supply and sanitation programme in 11 of the country’s regions.

Development Diaries reports that the project aims to improve the living conditions of people in semi-urban and rural areas by giving them access to drinking water and sanitation.

It is understood that the financial support comes from resources under pillar one of the transition support facility.

SDG Six: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Data from the AfDB shows that at the national level, the respective access rates to safe water and sanitation were 51 percent and 11 percent as of 2017.

Chad faces significant challenges in providing adequate access to water and sanitation for its population.

A landlocked country in Central Africa, Chad grapples with a combination of climatic, geographic, and socio-economic factors that contribute to the scarcity of clean water sources.

Rural areas, in particular, suffer from limited access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, exacerbating health issues and hindering overall development.

‘By investing in constructing social and rural infrastructure in vulnerable areas, the programme will contribute to the creation of resilient societies, reduce isolation and inequalities between women and men, promote inclusive economic development and strengthen access to basic sanitation services’, said interim Country Manager for Chad, Mamadi Souaré.

According to the bank, the programme aims to construct drinking water supply infrastructure, including drilling 23 wells in Amdjarass and the surrounding area and equipping wells in Amdjarass with 25 submerged pumps.

It also aims to create 225 wells equipped with manual pumps and build 50 water production plants and 54 solar or thermal drinking-water supply mini-systems.

In terms of sanitation, the project will build 20 trash cans and 500 latrines with three cubicles, a flush system, and handwashing facilities at marketplaces, medical facilities, bus terminals, and schools.

Source: AfDB