Ivory Coast has launched the “drinking water” component of the second phase of the government’s Social Programme (PSgouv 2). This follows the success of the first phase of the program.
This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to addressing critical issues related to water access, hygiene, and overall community well-being in Ivory Coast. The first phase focused on improving the supply of drinking water to rural populations through the rehabilitation of existing human-driven pumps and the maintenance of a large number of them.
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Scope of work
The “drinking water” component of PSgouv 2 involves the construction of 2,200 boreholes equipped with human-powered pumps. These boreholes will be distributed across 17 out of the 31 regions in Ivory Coast.
The Ivorian Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene awarded the contract for this project to Saher, the local subsidiary of the French company Vergnet Hydro. The company is expected to deliver all the human-driven pumps by February 2025.
The 2,200 new hydraulic installations are projected to significantly improve the drinking water supply for almost 900,000 people in rural and semi-urban areas. This initiative is a response to the needs identified in the General Population and Housing Census (RGPH 2021).
The PSgouv 2 program which has a budget of US $5.3M was officially launched in Tougbo, in the Téhini division of the Bounkani region. Besides improving access to drinking water, the program aims to address fragility in northern border areas, accelerate education and training, promote professional integration, improve living conditions in households, and strengthen solidarity.