The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a loan of $124.4 million to Angola to support sanitation projects in four coastal towns. The funding, which includes $49.4 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF) sponsored by China, will help improve access to sustainable and climate-resistant sanitation services in Benguela, BaÃa Farta, Catumbela, and Lobito.
The primary goal of the loan is to address the health needs of the 1.4 million residents in these cities, considering the growing urbanization and socio-economic development in the region. The Angolan government plans to establish waste collection and disposal systems, as well as wastewater and faecal sludge treatment facilities, to enhance sanitation services.
In addition to improving public health, the initiative aims to support tourism in these major economic and logistical centers. The funding will also be utilized to equip schools and healthcare facilities with modern sanitation facilities. To ensure the sustainability of the infrastructure, capacity-building efforts will be undertaken to empower young professionals and technicians in these cities, making them experts in the sanitation sector. Service providers’ capabilities will also be enhanced to ensure effective management of the sanitation facilities.
Beth Dunford, the Vice President for Agriculture and Human and Social Development at AfDB, emphasizes the importance of safely managed sanitation for a healthy and productive society.
The sanitation project aligns with Angola’s Vision 2050, which focuses on strengthening sustainable and climate-resilient water and sanitation services. Although urban areas in Angola have reached a water access rate of 71.5% as of 2020 (compared to 70.4% in rural areas), only 52% of the population had access to basic sanitation services, according to the World Bank.