Clean drinking water is still not available everywhere. For this reason, the United Nations has declared 22 March World Water Day. Last week, the President of Niger opened a new water treatment plant in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The Netherlands contributed to the construction of this plant. It produces clean drinking water for 400,000 residents.
Clean drinking water for 15,700 households
Niamey, the capital of Niger, is not only one of the hottest but also the fastest-growing cities in the world. The demand for drinking water is increasing. Thanks to a drinking water project, more than 400,000 people have access to clean drinking water. Last week, the President of the Republic of Niger launched the project.
The project meets the increased demand for drinking water in the city. Access to clean drinking water will improve public health. It will also create economic opportunities for Niamey people.
The construction of the Goudel IV water treatment plant started in 2018. The plant treats water that comes from the Niger River. It produces 40,000 cubic metres of clean water every day. The system distributes the water to 15,700 households. These households experience access for the first time. Niamey's new water supply system will also have 170 extra public water taps. As a result, some areas in the city will no longer depend on untreated water. The plant stores the rest of the water to provide water to existing customers, limiting water outages.
How to finance a project like this
3 European partners support the drinking water project with a subsidy of 60.4 million euros:
- The European Investment Bank
- The French Development Agency
- The Dutch government.
The Netherlands supported the construction of the water plant. A subsidy of 21 million euros through the Facility for Infrastructure Development (ORIO) made this possible. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency carries out this programme on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The next steps
The project partners have also agreed to finance the construction of a new water treatment plant in Niamey. When completed, the Karey Gorou plant will add 100,000 cubic metres of water a day to the supply. 45,000 household connections will have access to fresh drinking water. In total, more than 1 million people will benefit from the 2 new plants.
The Karey Gorou plant will cost 220 million euros in total. The World Bank joins the 3 partners for this project. The Netherlands will support the project with a donation of 30 million euros. The Development Related Infrastructure Investment Vehicle (DRIVE) programme makes this possible.
Your next steps
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