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The African Water Facility has secured €12 million from the Nordic Development Fund for a new funding initiative to support African governments, utilities, the private sector and other stakeholders to expand access to safe and sustainable sanitation in African cities.
The Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative (AUSII) was launched on 27 August 2024, on the sidelines of World Water Week 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Nordic Development Fund announced the funding during a panel session on investing in Africas water sector, which it hosted in tandem with the African Unions African Water Investment Program.
Over the next ten years, the African Water Facility, through the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative, wants to mobilise $320 million to support 50 sanitation projects, connecting at least 15 million people in urban areas to safely managed sanitation services and generating $7 billion in downstream investments.
Ten percent of the $320 million is expected to come from climate-focused funding sources, The Facility is hosted by the African Development Bank.
Low levels of sanitation across Africa
"We are delighted to have successfully launched AUSII and to have secured this grant from the Nordic Development Fund as we operationalise our new financing window for urban sanitation.
"We hope to see more support from other partners for this important initiative which will ensure inclusive and sustainable access to safe sanitation and cross-cutting impact on development on the continent/ said Mtchera Johannes Chirwa, Coordinator, African Water Facility and Acting African Development Bank Director for Water Development and Sanitation.
Satu Santala, the Nordic Development Funds Managing Director, explained that Africa has the lowest sanitation access levels in the world.
"With the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative, we aim to support the provision of innovative and socially inclusive solutions to solve this challenge, especially as the impacts of climate change worsen.
"We are ready to roll up our sleeves and continue this collaboration with partners like the African Water Facility," said Santala. |
