WASHINGTON, June 26, 2018 – The World Bank approved today the largest donor financed operation in Burkina Faso’s history, an International Development Association (IDA)* financing of EURO 206.7 million and SDR 34.8 million to Burkina Faso to increase access, sustainability, effectiveness, and accountability for the delivery of water supply and sanitation services in urban and rural areas.
The Water Supply and Sanitation Program-for-Results (PforR) will benefit more than 1.1 million people with improved water supply and 1.3 million people with improved sanitation services in targeted areas. Burkina Faso is determined to provide universal and equitable access to adequate water supply and sanitation services and effectively managed water resources to contribute to sustainable development. The World Bank is fully committed to supporting the Government efforts to achieve these goals.
“Through its innovative design the Program will leverage private finance for the water supply and sanitation sector, through the built-in incentives it plans to provide for improved sustainability of service delivery, including in terms of operation and maintenance of assets, cost-recovery, and human capital strengthening,” said Cheick Kanté, World Bank Country Manager for Burkina Faso.
The Burkina Faso Water Supply and Sanitation Program builds on ambitious National Programs, notably the National Economic and Social Development Plan (PNDES) to address sanitation, water supply and water resources challenges, aiming at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 that call for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030.
“The Program will contribute to fostering inclusion and shared prosperity in Burkina Faso through improvements in water supply and sanitation services in underserved areas (peri-urban areas, secondary towns, and rural areas). Also, the Program will have a strong focus on reducing the bias against women by supporting opportunities for women,” said Carolina Dominguez, the World Bank’s Task Team Leader for the Program.
The Program is aligned with the World Bank’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity, and with the Government’s priority to improve Burkina Faso’s human, physical, natural, and institutional capital.
The use of the PforR instrument will contribute to reinforce Burkina’s results orientation as the Program financing is linked to the achievement of a set of results indicators; reinforce national systems and procedures as the Program builds upon the country’s fiduciary and environmental and social management systems; and, facilitate coordination with other development partners.
* 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.
