The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) is providing a €7.5 million grant to the African Water Facility (AWF), a fund hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The grant is intended to strengthen drinking water supply and sanitation in the Sahel and Horn of Africa at a time of health crisis due to the Covid-19.
The grant from the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) to the Facility (AWF) is for the revival and preparation of investment-ready projects for water supply, sanitation and integrated water resources management in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. 7.5 million, this grant will also allow the revival of the AWF activities after a period of uncertainty caused by Covid-19.
The fund hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB) is an initiative led by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) to mobilise funds to finance water resources development activities in Africa. The NDF Board of Directors approved the grant as part of its “COVID-19 Recovery through Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation in Africa” initiative to enable recovery and improve the quality of life of families in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. These two parts of the African continent are known for their arid climate, which increases water stress.
The partnership with the AfDB
As part of its programme, the Nordic Development Fund builds on its cooperation with the AfDB to prepare investments in climate resilient water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). “This grant will enable the AWF to fulfil its mandate to prepare investment-ready projects and its climate resilient approach to water supply, sanitation and integrated water resources management interventions,” says Wambui Gichuri, Director of the Water and Sanitation Development Department of NDF.
The programme follows an earlier Nordic Development Fund grant to AWF to fund a call for proposals for the preparation of climate resilient water infrastructure and water resources management in sub-Saharan Africa. The NDF is supported in these initiatives by the Government of Denmark.
Jean Marie Takouleu
