African Development Fund grants $46mln to improve access to water in Borena, Ethiopia  

Addis Ababa, February 29, 2024 (FBC) – The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund in Abidjan on 28 February 2024, donated 46.02 million USE to Ethiopia to implement Phase 2 of the Borana Resilient Water Development for Improved Livelihoods Program in Borena Zones of Oromia Region.

Financial support from the African Development Bank Group’s concessional rate loans window is intended to improve access to integrated, sustainable, climate-smart, gender-sensitive water supply and sanitation services for pastoral communities in the arid lands of the Borana area.

“This is a peace-building program in an environment where the extremes of climate change are increasingly manifesting, millions of livestock are lost, and conflicts are increasing among pastoralist due to limited pastures and water supply,” said Dr Beth Dunford, Vice President, Agriculture, Human and Social Development.

The African Development Fund grant will be used mainly to build and optimize water production and transport systems over more than 85 kilometres.

It will also be used to build 9 reservoirs, distribution systems (142.6 kilometres) and connections to give 36,000 new users access to drinking water.

In addition, 99 watering troughs will be installed for almost 109,000 head of livestock.