Approved
Project General Description: This project was identified in Niger during the implementation of the Partnership Programme between the African Water Facility (AWF), the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark (GoDk) in 5 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) and in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia) and under the African Development Fund operations in Niger/ADF-15. The project seeks to improve the living and health conditions of the rural population in 33 priority municipalities in Tahoua and Zinder region, prevent the spread of COVID-19 by helping beneficiary communities to improve access to sustainable water, hygiene, and sanitation services, and build the climate resilience of the rural water and sanitation subsector. The project also includes studies for an investment project for 150 water systems in Tahoua, Zinder, Maradi and Tillabéri regions. With an implementation period of 36 months, the total project cost stands at EUR 7,640,590 or UA 6,220,800.
Objectives: The project’s development objective is to improve access for the rural, poor, and vulnerable populations of Tahoua, Zinder, Maradi and Tillabéri regions to sustainable drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services in support of post-COVID-19 prevention and recovery efforts and build the climate resilience of the rural water and sanitation subsector.The specific objectives of the project are to (i) strengthen and improve people's access to sustainable climate-resilient drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services and reduce open defecation using the municipal end-open-defecation approach; (ii) conduct feasibility studies and prepare implementation files for funding a new climate-resilient DWS investment project in rural areas; (iii) develop tools for mainstreaming climate resilience and gender in the RDWSS subsector; and (iv) build the capacity of RDWSS subsector actors in sustainable management of drinking water and sanitation infrastructure, climate resilience, and hygiene behaviour change, particularly COVID-19 and waterrelated diseases.
Beneficiaries: The direct project beneficiaries are estimated at 600,000 people (at least 50% women) including 40,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) for immediate interventions, and about 1,500,000 people (50% women) after the investment project is completed. The choice of the project area was guided by the priority needs of the population, the production capacity of existing boreholes, and the need to consolidate achievements and extend previous Bank operations.