Financing for the Kiffa drinking water supply project in southern Mauritania is increasing. After the loan of more than 100 million dollars confirmed in July 2022 by the Saudi Development Fund (SDF), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is approving new financing for this West African country. The $37.87 million loan was approved on 10 September 2022 for the Kiffa drinking water supply project, which the Mauritanian government has estimated to cost $317 million.
The $37.87 million loan is part of an overall financing package of $1.12 billion approved by the IsDB for projects in various fields (water, electricity, etc.) in Africa and in several countries around the world.
Drinking water for 550,000 people until 2035
The Kiffa drinking water project will be implemented in several phases. New facilities will collect raw water from the Senegal River to supply the town of Kiffa. The river flows through the country before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean in Senegal. Pipes will transport the raw water to a new treatment plant. The drinking water will then be stored in reservoirs.
The project also includes a 250 km water network that will connect 90 villages and serve more than 20% of Mauritania’s population, or more than 550,000 people until 2035. The country is facing water shortages that accelerate the proliferation of waterborne diseases. Thus, in addition to improving the supply of drinking water, the objective is to minimise the risk of waterborne diseases in the town of Kiffa and surrounding areas.
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The new facilities will be built within the framework of the water-sharing mechanism of the Organisation for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS). The drinking water project in Kiffa will also create 3,000 jobs in the water sector.
Inès Magoum