Tunis — The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a grant of 1.485 million Units of Account (UA*), equivalent to US$ 2.25 million, to finance an inventory of hydraulic structures and a study for the preparation of a National Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS) for 2015 in Burkina Faso.

The study will contribute to meeting drinking water and sanitation needs in a sustainable manner so as to improve the socio-economic and health conditions of the rural population with the implementation of the DWSS programme.

The data of the last inventory of the country's water and sanitation structures in 1996 have become completely outdated. Consequently, all the development partners in the country encouraged the preparation of the National Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWSS) Programme to achieve the 2015 Millenium Development Goals (MDG). The study will provide the country with a reliable inventory of water and sanitation structures for the preparation of a The National DWSS Programme.

The study consists of the following components:

National inventory of water and sanitation structures

The preparation of the National Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Programme

Coordination of the study.

This study will also contribute to meet the water and sanitation needs of the population, particularly the rural population, and achieving a coverage rate of 66% in 2010 and 80% in 2015 ;Moreover, this initiative would also decrease medical expenses as a result of the reduction or even eradication of water-borne diseases by 2015; finally, the Bank's operation will promote water-related income-generating activities, particularly agricultural and pastoral activities, to reduce the poverty index from 50% to less than 20% by 2015 in rural areas.

The Bank Group's operations in Burkina Faso started in 1970. To date, the total commitment of the Group in the country stands at UA 533 million, equivalent to US$ 810.4 million for 68 operations.