In support of the Egyptian Government's efforts to ensure safe living conditions, the African Development Bank has approved financing amounting to US$ 150 million for the expansion of the essential waste-water treatment plant at Abu Rawash in the Giza Governorate. The funding targets a total treatment capacity of 1.6 million m3/day, intended to benefit over eight million people.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank approved the decision to finance the "Sustainable Development of the Abu-Rawash Wastewater Treatment Plant" on Friday, December 15, 2017, with a loan of US$ 100 million from the Bank's market window and US$ 50 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund (China Trust Fund).

The project is a continuation of the Bank's commitment to the water and sanitation sector, said Malinne Blomberg, the African Development Bank's Country Manager in Egypt.

The ongoing Bank-funded expansion of the Gabel Al Asfar wastewater treatment plant on the east side of the Nile is almost complete. Gabel Al Asfar is one of the largest treatment plants in the world and will provide additional treatment capacity for 12.5 million residents of Cairo. The Abu Rawash project on the west side of the Nile is expected to benefit another 8 million people in the broader project area in terms of increased incomes, food security and economic activities. It is expected to create more than 1,200 direct jobs and 4,000 indirect jobs in tourism, agriculture, and fisheries.

The project will reduce health risks through the depollution of the drains and canals; protect the Nile, the environment and the water resource from pollution; and scale up water re-use for agriculture, says Yasser Elwan, Senior Irrigation Engineer at the African Development Bank.

This will be achieved by expanding and upgrading the wastewater treatment plant on the outskirts of Giza, and by engaging the communities in the project area. The project involves upgrading the primary treatment facility of 1.2 million m3/day to also include secondary treatment of wastewater, and expanding the treatment plant's capacity to 1.6 million m3/day of both primary and secondary treatment.

To be implemented over a period of four years at a total cost of US$ 387.44 million, the intervention supports Egypt's Sustainable Development Strategy and 2030 Vision. It contributes to protecting and enhancing the quality and use of the Nile River, a prime strategic resource for the country. It also contributes to the Bank's 'High 5' priority agenda through the development of critical infrastructure that promotes inclusive and green growth, increasing agricultural production and improving the quality of life of the people.