African water projects prepared for investment could gain a more direct route to specialised technology, technical expertise and private-sector partners under a new collaboration being developed between the African Water Facility and German Water Partnership.
The proposed cooperation is intended to connect AWF-supported projects with German companies and institutions that can contribute technologies, technical knowledge and operational expertise needed to help move priority investments closer to implementation.
The initiative was discussed during a meeting in Germany between H.E. Prof. Dr. Hani Sewilam, Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation and Chair of the Governing Council of the African Water Facility (AWF), and Christian Schepers, Head of the Africa Regional Section at German Water Partnership (GWP).
The meeting was attended by Mtchera Johannes Chirwa, Director of the Water Development and Sanitation Department at the African Development Bank, alongside officials and experts from the Facility.
Discussions focused on developing practical cooperation that could strengthen private-sector participation in African water projects and create stronger links between investment-ready projects and German expertise in areas such as water and sanitation technologies, utility efficiency, digital transformation, energy efficiency and institutional capacity development.
For African countries, the value of such a partnership lies in what can happen after a project has been prepared.
The African Water Facility, an initiative of the African Ministers’ Council on Water, administered by the African Development Bank, supports countries in developing priority water and sanitation projects through activities including feasibility studies, technical designs and environmental and financial assessments.
These steps are essential to making projects credible and attractive to investors. But implementation also depends on access to the right technologies, technical partners, operational expertise and financing.
The proposed cooperation with German Water Partnership is intended to help strengthen that bridge.
Connecting projects with the expertise they need
German Water Partnership brings together more than 300 companies, associations, research institutions and specialised organisations active across the water sector.
Its network could provide AWF-supported projects with access to expertise and technologies suited to specific technical and operational needs.
During the meeting, both sides discussed organising information sessions involving the African Water Facility, the African Development Bank and GWP member companies.
These sessions would provide an opportunity to present African project opportunities and technical requirements directly to German companies, while allowing project teams and institutions to better understand the solutions, technologies and expertise available.
Such exchanges could help create more targeted partnerships between African water institutions and companies capable of supporting project implementation.
Prof. Sewilam emphasised the importance of expanding the Facility’s international partnerships as it seeks to mobilise more expertise, technology and private-sector participation around the continent’s water security priorities.
He also highlighted the potential for German expertise to support African utilities and water institutions through knowledge transfer, capacity development and improvements in operational efficiency and technical and financial sustainability.
From preparation to delivery
A central focus of the discussions was ensuring that projects do not stop at the preparation stage.
By linking prepared projects with companies, technologies and technical partners, the proposed collaboration could help shorten the distance between a completed feasibility study and infrastructure that ultimately delivers services on the ground.
This is particularly important for water and sanitation investments, where strong project preparation must be followed by financing, technical delivery and long-term operational capacity.
The two organisations agreed to continue discussions and identify priority areas and projects that could serve as starting points for practical cooperation.
They also agreed to designate focal points to follow up on partnership opportunities and facilitate connections between African projects and relevant German companies and expertise.
Cairo Water Week offers next platform for engagement
The discussions are expected to continue at Cairo Water Week, where Prof. Sewilam invited German Water Partnership to participate in the session being organised by the African Water Facility.
The AWF session will provide a platform to showcase water security priorities and project opportunities while bringing together African countries, development partners and private-sector actors.
The engagement with German Water Partnership reflects a wider priority for AWF: ensuring that the work of preparing projects leads to the partnerships, expertise and investment needed to turn them into functioning water and sanitation infrastructure.
Ultimately, the value of project preparation is realised when projects move beyond plans and studies and begin delivering safer, more reliable and more sustainable water and sanitation services for people and communities.