The launch of the Butimba water treatment plant marks a major milestone of the Lake Victoria water and sanitation project, which is aimed at upgrading the water supply and sanitation systems in northern Tanzania.
A €150m major water and sanitation project in Tanzania which was jointly financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Investment Bank’s development arm EIB Global, the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund and government of Tanzania, has been completed.
The Lake Victoria project was first launched in 2004 to vastly improve access to safe water and hygiene in Mwanza, which is the second-biggest populated area in Tanzania.
The AFD provided a €75m loan, while EIB Global committed €45m plus €4m for technical assistance. The EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund provided a €9.9m grant with the government of Tanzania contributing €16m.
“Clean water is essential for life and this project will improve health outcomes and transform the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of Tanzanians living around Lake Victoria. The European Investment Bank is the largest financier of water projects globally and is committed to supporting more of such crucial investments,” said Edward Claessen, head of the EIB regional hub for East Africa.
Founded in 2022, EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm tasked with boosting the impact of international partnerships and development finance. It is focused on development finance, climate action, innovative investments, sustainable living and new ways of helping people in areas where life is the hardest, it says.
Clean water for 450,000 people
The new Butimba water treatment facility, which was opened by the president of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, and representatives of the European organisations which helped to pay for it, will provide 44,000 cubic meters of treated water per day, which is set to benefit around 450,000 people. In addition, a number of innovative sewage systems, adapted to Mwanza’s challenging landscape, will provide more than 150,000 people with improved sanitation services.
“We are extremely proud of this Butimba water treatment project, which will significantly improve water services in the area,” said Celine Robert, AFD country director for Tanzania.
The Lake Victoria project will improve the lives of thousands of people, according to Anne Sophie, the French ambassador to Tanzania.
“This project required political will, engineering and a lot of funding. Investing in people and children, in their health and safety, is investing for the future, for all of us,” Sophie said.
