African Water Facility welcomes approval of 2021 Work Plan and Budget
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved the 2021 African Water Facility Work Plan and Budget, following its review and endorsement by the Oversight Committee and Governing Council of the AWF. Guided by the AWF 2017–2025 Strategy, that is currently undergoing review, operations for the 2021 Work Plan focuses on three strategic priorities, namely project preparation, catalytic investments and investment promotion.
Among the planned activities for the ongoing year are the continuation of 24 active projects that amount to €37.1 million. It’s planned that disbursements for these projects will total €12 million in 2021.
The plan also reflects some of the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activities of the AWF. In particular, the Facility will work with the Bank and its partners to mobilise resources to support the water sector in Africa to respond to the pandemic.
Part of these efforts follow the development of a new programme in 2020 in partnership with the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) and the Government of Denmark to support WASH-based COVID-19 interventions in five fragile states in the Sahel and Horn of Africa.
Also taking place during the year is the completion of the merger of the Bank’s water trust funds. The African Water Facility will integrate three trust funds hosted by the African Development Bank Group: the AWF, the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) that promotes inclusive and sustainable services in rural areas, and the Multi Donor Water Partnership Program (MDWPP) that promotes capacity building for integrated water resources management and development.
The merger will avoid duplication and overlapping mandates, as well as ensure the sustainability of the three trust funds. It is part of a wider institutional reform process within the Bank, with the aim of streamlining business process and enhancing efficiency. It is the second year that the work plan of the Facility reflects the recommendations of the evaluation carried on by the African Development Bank’s Independent Evaluation Department (IDEV), concluded in 2019, to further enhance programmatic and organisational efficiency and effectiveness. Deeper consideration of crosscutting issues will continue to be applied in the selection, preparation and implementation of new commitments in 2021.
About the African Water Facility
Since 2006, the African Water Facility has been one of the primary instruments supporting the water sector in Africa. The AWF facilitates the mobilization of resources to meet the huge investment gap for water infrastructure development, towards meeting the goals and targets of the Africa Water Vision (AWV) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To date, the AWF has approved 123 projects worth €170.54 million that have benefited 21.6 million people across all five regions of Africa.