EBRD Supports Upgrade of Sanitation Infrastructure in Egypt
The EBRD has lent €186 million the Fayoum Water and Wastewater Company to enable improve living conditions of the local three million inhabitants through the development and expansion of wastewater services.
The EBRD financing will be complemented by a loan of €172 million provided by the European Investment Bank, while the EU Neighborhood Investment Facility (NIF) is extending an investment grant of €30 million and over €7 million for technical assistance.
The funding will support the construction of 8 new wastewater treatment plants, the expansion of 9 units and the rehabilitation of 10 plants as well as the installation of 3,433 km of pipes and 139 pumping stations. In addition, 350 sewage removal trucks will be procured to serve remote rural communities.
The investment will increase the company’s treatment capacity by almost 300,000 m3 per day and provide sanitation services to almost 90 per cent of the rural population in the Fayoum governorate from a current level of slightly more than 30 per cent.
The expansion of the wastewater treatment facilities will also substantially reduce the level of pollution caused by untreated domestic wastewater and the contamination of surface and ground water, which affects many waters including Lake Qarun, the third-largest lake in Egypt.
Reducing the level of pollution in Lake Qarun will help restore tourism and boost agricultural and fishing activities. This is expected to create over 30,000 permanent jobs in one of the poorest governorates in Egypt.
Technical assistance funded by the EU NIF includes support for the project procurement and implementation as well as for corporation, financial and operational improvements and stakeholder-engagement activities.
The EBRD will also provide technical assistance to support women’s access to economic opportunities and to assess economic inclusion outcomes.
The EBRD believes that successful economies should be competitive, well-governed, green, inclusive, resilient and integrated. Egypt is a founding member of the EBRD and has been receiving funding since 2012. To date the Bank has invested € 2.3 billion in 43 projects in the country.
