The World Bank has greenlit a US$30 million investment from the International Development Association (IDA) to address financial shortfalls and complete planned water and sanitation works in Ghana.
This second additional financing for the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA SWP) will help mitigate increased costs due to inflation.
The funding aims to support the Government of Ghana (GoG) and Ghana Water Limited (GWL) in expanding urban water supply and sanitation networks and enhancing GWL’s operational efficiency. A key goal is to reduce the 45 percent of water distributed in 2023 which generated no revenues.
The World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra, Robert Taliercio, stated that the additional financing would “help complete the rehabilitation and expansion of the existing Asafo Sewerage Network and provide access for 5,000 households in low-income communities to improved sanitation.” He added that the initiative also aims to improve GWL’s financial sustainability.
The GAMA SWP Project aligns with the Government’s efforts to increase access to basic sanitation services and reduce open defecation in Ghana. The project, implemented with local governments and beneficiaries, also aims to alleviate women’s water collection burden and provide relief during disease outbreaks.
Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist and Task Team Leader of the project, Harold Esseku, stressed the project’s climate benefits. He said, “The completion of the gravity-operated network and sewerage treatment plant in Kumasi is expected to reduce Green House Gas emissions.”
The project also aims to convert waste into briquettes and compost, reducing local communities’ charcoal and biofuel use and providing soil conditioner for urban agriculture.
By the project’s end, it is expected that the GAMA SWP will provide 563,000 individuals with improved sanitation services and 700,000 people with better water supply services.
The IDA, established in 1960, aids the world’s poorest countries by offering grants and low to zero-interest credits for projects and programs that stimulate economic growth, alleviate poverty, and enhance people’s lives. IDA is a significant assistance source for the world’s 74 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Since 1960, IDA has provided US$458 billion to 114 countries, with about 70 percent going to Africa.
