The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a US$121.34mn facility for the development of sewage disposal and wastewater treatment plants for rural areas in Luxor Governorate in Egypt’s Upper Nile region
The Integrated Rural Sanitation in Upper Egypt – Luxor (IRSUE-Luxor) project is set to boost sewage coverage in the region from six per cent to 55 per cent, improving the quality of life of citizens, including women and children, who are most affected by poor sanitation.
The facility consists of a US$120.23mn loan from the Bank, and a grant of US$1.11mn from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI), an Africa-wide initiative hosted by the AfDB.
“The Bank’s support under the Integrated Rural Sanitation in Upper Egypt – Luxor will develop more than 8 sewer networks and pump stations and 2 wastewater treatment plants located in the desert areas of El Tod, and El Keman El Matana,” said Mohamed El Azizi, AfDB’s director general for the North Africa region.
The network will serve approximately 22,000 households (161,929 inhabitants). The households in satellite villages that will not be covered by the sewer network will benefit from an improved onsite sanitation service, which involves sludge treatment in the wastewater treatment plants.
IRSUE-Luxor contributes to the National Rural Sanitation Programme (NRSP) established by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Communities and aims at expanding access to sanitation services from 34% currently (national wide) up to 60 per cent in 2030.
Furthermore, the project includes a staff capacity- building component and the strengthening of a performance-based culture within the Luxor Water and Wastewater Company.
