It has been announced this week that a new €32 million water and sanitation project has been launched in the impoverished nation of Malawi, in order to give more than a million Malawians access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation facilities.
The project is being funded by the following:
• A €14.9 million water facility grant from the European Union (EU)
• A subsidised €15.7 million European Investment Bank (EIB) loan
This funding is in addition to ongoing support from the Malawian government.
The aim of the project is to upgrade the water and sanitation infrastructure of areas such as Lilongwe and Blantyre, so that people residing in low-income parts of these two cities can access clean water and even basic sanitation facilities.
It is estimated that 723,000 people will benefit from improved access to safe, clean drinking water, whilst a further 468,000 be able to access newly developed sanitation facilities.
Plutarchos Sakellaris, the EIB’s vice-president for Africa, explained the bank’s intentions for the project, saying:
“The EIB is working with the Lilongwe and Blantyre Water Boards to improve access to clean water and sanitation for Malawians. This is a key project demonstrating the EIB’s strong engagement to improving the quality of life of people across Africa,”
