Dutch investment expands access to water

The Netherlands will invest 23 million dollars in the form of donation for the construction of additional infrastructure for water supply to the wide region of Maputo, which should serve the current 1.1 million consumers and other 650,000 people in 25 neighborhoods.

The funding was announced as part of the 40 years of cooperation in the water sector between Mozambique and the Netherlands, reported this month by holding various events, including a symposium under the theme "Delta Countries Preparing for the Future".

The project arises from the realization that, despite recent investments not all districts are covered, persisting challenges in terms of service in areas further north of the cities of Maputo and Matola.

According to a source from the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, in the face of this situation, it prepared a project aimed at improving the water supply conditions for the current 1.1 million consumers and increase the provision and access to services for more than 650,000 people living in more than 25 districts and urban settlements of Maputo city and province;that is residents of the districts of Matola-Gare, Nwamatibwana, Matlemele, Nkobe, Zimpeto, Mucatine, Boquisso, 1st May, Khongolote, Mualaze, Km 15, Ndlavela, Green Zone, Intaka, Cumbeza, Mali, Mumemo, District 1 and 2, Mapulango, Zintava, Marracuene village, Agostinho Neto, Abel Jafar, Guava, Mutanhana and Sun Coast, in the city of Maputo and surrounding areas.

The coverage of services will therefore,if all goes according to plans, grow by more than 26 percent in urban areas by 2019, thus fulfilling the goals of the Five-Year Plan of the Government of Mozambique.

The implementation of the project is assured from the donation of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency - ORIO and provides for the implementation of water supply infrastructure, including four distribution centers with a capacity of 2,500 cubic meters each in Matola-Gare, Matlemele, Guava and Marracuene, 200 kilometers of distribution network and installation of 20,000 new household connections.

An agreement for the project gross will be signed between the two countries on the 3rd of November in Amsterdam, Netherlands, within the framework of the visit of the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Carlos Bonete, to that country from day two. The visit comes as part of the celebrations of 40 years of cooperation between Mozambique and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, Carlos Bonete will participate in the International Water Week taking place from 2 to 6 November. On the other hand, during the stay in the Netherlands will be visited projects of infra structures resilient to floods and shared experience of this country in the field of water management.

Discussions under this componenet shall culminate with the signing of a memorandum for the training of Mozambican technicians in the amount of 3 million euros, through the program of the Netherlands for the Development NICHE capabilities (Netherlands Initiative for Capacity Development in Higher Education ).

Accompanying the Minister on this visit will be senior cadres of the Water Sector in particular Suzana Saranga and Pedro Paulino.