The World Bank has approved a $33 million grant aimed at improving water supply and sanitation services in Zambia, with a strong focus on governance, operational efficiency, and expanding access in underserved areas.
Development Diaries reports that the initiative – Water Supply and Sanitation Services in Growth Centers Programme, is financed by a $33 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA).
According to the World Bank, the programme will be implemented by the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation (MWDS) in collaboration with selected commercial utilities and the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council (NWASCO), the sector’s regulatory body.
The target regions include Kafubu, Luapula, North-western, and Western provinces.
It is understood that the programme seeks to address structural challenges within Zambia’s water and sanitation sector.
Also, it will prioritise sector governance reforms by enhancing transparency, accountability, and budget allocation practices, while also working to reduce water losses and improve billing systems.
World Bank Country Manager for Zambia, Achim Fock says, ‘By prioritising governance reforms, operational efficiency, and climate resilience, this programme will contribute to fostering sustainable development and enhance health outcomes for the Zambians’.
Despite improvements in recent years, access to safe water and adequate sanitation remains a significant challenge in Zambia.
As of 2023, only 67 percent of the population had access to basic drinking water services, while just 44 percent had access to basic sanitation, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Rural areas are particularly affected, with fewer than half of rural residents having access to safe water.
Furthermore, the country continues to face high rates of non-revenue water, estimated at over 45 percent in some utilities, due to leakage, illegal connections, and poor metering systems.
The grant is expected to help improve operational cost recovery for utilities, increase household connections to safe water, expand access to sanitation services, and reduce waterborne diseases. Importantly, the programme will also promote gender inclusion within the sector.
‘The programme will promote gender equality by encouraging women’s employment and representation in leadership positions within the water sector’, said Ousmane Yaya-Bocoum, Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist and Task Team Leader for the World Bank.
Additionally, the initiative will bolster climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, enhancing the resilience of water and sanitation infrastructure to the impacts of climate change.
This latest investment deepens the World Bank’s continued commitment to improving lives in Africa, particularly in its support for sustainable water management systems that serve both urban and rural communities.
Source: World Bank
Photo source: Hanay
