million for Seychelles water project | Infrastructure news

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has allocated a loan and a grant of $ 25.995 million dollars to finance a water project in Mahe in the Seychelles.

The Mahe Sustainable Water Augmentation Project (MSWAP) seeks to promote the country’s economic development by improving water supply capacity and resilience against climate change.

The project aims at achieving the Seychelles 2008-2030 Water Development Plan (SWDP) target supported by the African Water Facility (AWF), which is hosted and managed by AfDB.

Currently, the country can only meet about 60% of its potable water needs due to limited storage capacity, increased demand for housing construction, and water losses along the network.

Project benefits

Water shortages are common in Mahe, the Seychelles’ largest island, especially during the dry seasons when water rationing is enforced.

The project would: (a) Improve water supply services through reduction of the number of days when water is rationed and (b) Increase water production capacity to cover areas in the island’s northern region.

The project is anchored in the country’s Medium Term National Development Strategy 2013-2017 (MTNDS).

The strategy focuses on strengthening the foundations of economic growth, improving the quality of life and ensuring environmental sustainability.

Beneficiaries of the project

Direct beneficiaries of the project are the water users on the island of Mahe whose demand is projected to increase by 130% by 2030.

Domestic, industrial and touristic use, which currently accounts for 36%, 11 % and 5% of the total water demand, are expected to increase by 140%, 400% and 190% respectively.

The main impact of the project will be the improvement in quality of life and reliability of water services for household, industrial, commercial activities and tourism, especially in the dry seasons.

The funding comprises $20.60 million AfDB loan and $1.40 million grant from the Middle Income Country Technical Assistance Fund.

The Seychelles government will provide the remaining $3.995 million.

Additional Reading?

Request Free Copy