Benin approves 26 drinking water projects

The government of Benin has approved construction of 26 drinking water supply systems in the departments of Borgou and Alibori.

The projects were approved by the Council of Ministers and is set to be implemented by the National Agency for Rural Water Supply (ANAEPMR). It will involve development of 26 multi-village hydraulic systems.

ANAEPMR will see through the implementation of boreholes, raised reinforced concrete water towers with a capacity greater than or equal to 200 m3 for storage, pipes for at least 10 km, with a diameter greater than or equal to 160 mm for the transport and distribution of drinking water. All the works are in line with Benin’s National Development Plan 2018-2025.

National Development Plan 2018-2025

The water supply systems scheduled to be complete by 2023, will be the first of a series of 95 systems to be built throughout Benin over the next few years. All the works are in line with Benin’s National Development Plan 2018-2025. This policy aims to increase the rate of access to drinking water in this West African country.

Upon completion, Villages in the divisions of Zou, Couffo and Mono will be among the beneficiaries of the project. 10 water supply systems will be distributed among the divisions of Atlantique, Oueme and Plateau.

Drinking water supply and sanitation in Benin has been subject to considerable progress since the 1990s, in particular in rural areas, where coverage is higher than in many other African countries, and almost all development partners follow a national demand-responsive strategy, which has been adopted in 1992.New strategies to increase water supply in rural and urban areas have been adopted in 2005 and 2006.Tariffs in urban and rural areas are usually high enough to cover the costs for operation and maintenance.

However, challenges remain. A coherent institutional framework has been developed for rural areas and projects have been implemented with strong help by external donors. Responsibilities in water supply have been defined in a national strategy in 2007 and the national utility SONEB receives significant support in terms of investment and technical assistance. Sanitation receives less attention. Wastewater treatment hardly exists.