The government of Ivory Coast has announced plans to invest US $909M in sanitation and drainage services over the next seven years. This represents a significant increase compared to previous years, with five times more funding allocated to these projects than between 2013 and 2022.
The decision to increase investment in sanitation and drainage follows the publication of a report by the National Office of Sanitation and Drainage (ONAD) on the state of sanitation in the country. According to the report presented by Konan Ahou, the director of operations and quality monitoring at ONAD, the rate of access to sanitation in Ivory Coast has improved from 22% in 2011 to 56% in 2021. Urban areas have a higher rate of access at 74% in 2021, while rural areas lag behind at 32% in the same year.
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Investment plans
The planned investments will focus on various infrastructure projects, including flood control dams, rainwater and wastewater networks, sludge treatment stations, and sludge dumping stations. Efforts will also be made to connect Ivorian households to ONAD’s effluent network. These initiatives aim to address the issue of flooding, which is exacerbated by blocked pipes caused by waste accumulation.
The need to mitigate flooding is highlighted by the example of Abidjan, the economic capital of Ivory Coast, where floods in June 2022 resulted in four deaths and affected many people. In 2014, ONAD introduced the “Pre-rainy season” operation, which involves the maintenance of primary drainage works, cleaning of drainage systems, treatment of critical areas, installation of monitoring devices during the rainy season, and the establishment of rights-of-way.
The increased investment in sanitation and drainage projects demonstrates the Ivorian government’s commitment to improving public health and addressing infrastructure challenges related to flooding and wastewater management.