SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY GREATER BANJUL GAMBIA

The Water Supply Project in the Greater Banjul Area (WASIB) will finance critical infrastructure to provide safely managed drinking water services in the Greater Banjul Area, The Gambia. WASIB addresses several challenges in the area, including ageing water supply facilities, high levels of non-revenue water, intermittent water supply, and depleting groundwater resources. The project covers both drilling and emergency works necessary to maintain and improve service continuity for about 560,000 people (approximately 25% of the country's population). It also includes water production and treatment, as well as water transmission, storage, and distribution for approximately 300,000 additional new beneficiaries.

The aim is to support the Gambian water utility (NAWEC) in strengthening its capacity to operate and maintain water supply systems, with the goal of improving drinking water services in the Greater Banjul Area.

The project will have a positive impact through: (i) increased access to safely managed drinking water services for the local population; (ii) reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through energy savings due to optimized, state-of-the-art water exploitation and water treatment processes; (iii) adaptation to climate change impacts by using a sustainable and more resilient water source in an area that is heavily impacted by climate change; and (iv) improved public health. In line with the EIB's Environmental & Social Standard (paragraph 7), the project components that are likely to have significant environmental, climate and/or social impacts shall be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and/or Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process.

The promoter will be required to implement the project in accordance with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) procurement rules and procedures, and in compliance with the requirements and standards agreed between EIB and AFD for projects outside the EU under the Mutual Reliance Initiative (MRI), as foreseen in the EIB's Guide to Procurement. In particular, calls for international tenders will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and/or on the EIB's website in accordance with the EIB's Guide to Procurement.

Under EFSD+ Guarantee