WASHINGTON, June 22, 2018 - The World Bank approved today a $130 million International Development Association (IDA)* credit to provide 1.5 million Senegalese with access to piped water and improved sanitation facilities.
The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project will focus on the Groundnut Basin area (Center West of the country), which is home to one third of Senegal’s rural population, and which is facing significant challenges, including a very low access rates to improved sanitation, and high poverty ratios.
“The beneficiaries will receive access to piped water through household connections and standpipes, in addition to household latrines, household connections to off-site piped sanitation systems and toilets in schools, health centers, and public markets,” said Oumar Diallo, World Bank Task Team Leader.
The project is also expected to have positive impact on the private sector entities directly involved in construction activities and contracted for service delivery. Additionally, it will help strengthen the integrated water resources management through improving knowledge, planning and the institutional framework, thereby raising the targeted project area’s resilience to climate change.
The project will also contribute directly to the poverty reduction plans of the Government of Senegal. Improving water and sanitation infrastructure is key to shared prosperity as it leads to reduction of water-borne diseases and associated absenteeism from work and school as well as reductions in costs associated with medical expenses and loss of income.
“Our continued engagement would provide an opportunity to build on the lessons learned from our long and successful partnership with the Government of Senegal in developing the water and sanitation sector and to make sure that water and sanitation are accessible to vulnerable groups,” said Louise Cord, World Bank Country Director for Senegal.
* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 75 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.5 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $18 billion over the last three years, with about 54 percent going to Africa.
