A technical workshop to prepare the implementation of WASH programme in the Sahel and Horn Africa
The Africa Water Facility (AWF), the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Denmark concluded the first technical workshop on the Climate Resilient WASH Programme for the Sahel and Horn of Africa. The workshop took place on 30th November and 1st December 2021, in Abidjan.
Osward Chanda, Director of the Bank’s Water Development and Sanitation Department led the African Development Bank/AWF team while Aage Jørgensen and Tobias von Platen Hallermund represented the Nordic Development Fund and the Government of Denmark, respectively. The meeting reviewed the status of preparation of projects in participating countries, as well as start-up activities and critical implementation arrangements to accelerate the delivery of the programme.
The new collaborative programme which aims to strengthen access to climate-resilient water and sanitation resources in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger and Somalia is expected to strengthen recovery in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.In line with the Programme objectives of building-back-better post-COVID, the three partners agreed on implementation approaches with particular attention to ensuring tracking and mainstreaming climate change resilience and adaptation actions, among other cross-cutting issues. They also agreed to ensure high quality of the projects at entry, despite the challenging WASH programming conditions in the participating states in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, that variably experience situations of fragility.
The program will support feasibility studies leading to preparation of bankable projects that will attract increased financing for water, sanitation and hygiene service (WASH), improving human health, child education and economic productivity; support the implementation of priority investments in WASH; and help build the capacities of service providers for increased resilience and sustainability of services.