Rwanda: African Development Bank Group commits $101 million to sustainable water and sanitation reforms | African Development Bank Group

The African Development Fund Board of Directors has approved a $101 million loan to fund the Rwanda Sustainable and Resilient Water and Sanitation Program – a policy-based operation to support the water and sanitation sector in Rwanda.

The program aims to improve water and sanitation management and access to basic water supply and sanitation services. It will also strengthen legal, policy, institutional and regulatory frameworks for providing basic water supply and sanitation.

“This program will benefit more than 13.2 million people in Rwanda and provide improved and long-term access to safe water and sanitation. It will also support water resources management, reform policies and improve governance in the sector,” said Osward Chanda, the Bank of Water Development and Sanitation director, at the board meeting.

The Rwandan Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning, Infrastructure and Environment, Water and Sanitation Corporation Limited, Rwanda Water Resources Board and the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority will implement the Rwanda Sustainable and Resilient Water and Sanitation Program from this year through 2026.

The Rwanda Sustainable and Resilient Water and Sanitation Program is the latest infrastructure project supported by the Bank through the Water Development and Sanitation Department. The Bank aims to accelerate Rwanda’s long-term development ambition to become a middle-income economy by 2035, as outlined in its Vision 2050.

The program also aligns with the Bank’s 2022-2026 Country Strategy for Rwanda and the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2013 – 2022, extended to June 2023) for inclusive growth and a gradual transition to green growth. It will contribute to three of the Bank’s priority areas, known as the High 5s: Improving the quality of life for the people of Africa; Feed Africa and industrialize Africa.