The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a grant of $27 million to Mozambique for improved sanitation services in the country’s fifth-largest city, Chimoio.

Development Diaries reports that the bank’s support is for the implementation of the inclusive urban sanitation project in Chimoio, which has a population of over 400,000.

The bank, in a statement, noted that the objective of the project is to enable the people of Chimoio to access improved sanitation services.

According to the bank, the support will gradually help to reduce the incidence of water-borne diseases and reduce land and river pollution while promoting business and creating value along the sanitation service chain, including the reuse of water and treated sludge for agricultural purposes.

A report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows that less than 25 percent (one in five) of Mozambicans use improved sanitary facilities, and just half of them have access to improved water supplies, despite tremendous advancements over the years.

With this project, the residents of Chimoio are expected to benefit from higher-quality, climate-resilient sanitation facilities that securely treat their waste and wastewater using natural solutions.

 Source: AfDB

Photo source: AfDB