In Burundi, the government has funds to launch the Water Sector and Climate Change Resilience Support Project (PASEREC). The funding of $13.15 million is being provided by the Transition Support Facility (TSF), the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) financing instrument for countries in transition. “The Burundian government will provide a counterpart of $1.75 million, and the Global Centre for Adaptation (GCA) will contribute $170,947,” says the pan-African financial institution.
The loan granted on 5 October 2023 will be used to implement phase 1 of Paserec, which aims to improve access for more than 1.27 million Burundians to “safe drinking water, sustainable sanitation and climate-resilient hygiene services”.
Work to start in January 2024
This stage of the project will see the construction of 18 solar-powered water supply systems in the provinces of Cankuzo, Bubanza, Ruyigi, Rutana, Cibitoke, Kayanza and Gitega. More than 750 latrines and hand-washing facilities will also be built, and more than 315,000 people will be made aware of the benefits of this practice.
Paserec 1 will also enable 4,500 individual connections to be made, and will support the development of climate-resilient drinking water supply and sanitation investment projects in the provinces of Gitega, Mwaro and Kayanza, as well as an investment plan with all the technical studies and environmental and social impact assessments required to facilitate the appraisal of a possible phase 2 of the programme.
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For the record, extreme water-related events, exacerbated by climate change, increase the risks to water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, such as damage to sanitation systems or flooding of sewage pumping stations. Work on Paserec 1 is scheduled to begin in January 2024.
Inès Magoum