International Development Grant

African Water Facility

Project Number: CA-3-A032232003

Status: Closed

Country/Region: Unknown

Regional Focus:

Africa 100%

Maximum Contribution: $20,000,000.00

Start Date: March 31, 2006

End Date: March 31, 2010

Duration: 4.0 years

Project Description

The African Water Facility (AWF) hosted by the African Development Bank was established in 2004 as the principal coordinating mechanism of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) for reaching Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7 (cutting in half the proportion of women men and children across the continent unable to access or afford safe drinking water by 2015). Supported by Canada (the first donor country to support the facility) the European Commission France Norway Austria Sweden and Denmark the AWF is building consensus among African nations on the sustainable management of regional and trans-boundary water resources (including water basins) expanding conservation knowledge across the continent and working with countries and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to expand safe water and basic sanitation services.

Progress & Results Achieved

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2011) include: The African Water Facility (AWF) successfully helped leverage investments in the water sector and improve water governance and knowledge management in Africa. In this regard the AWF helped establish water governance authorities such as the Volta Basin Authority the Lake Chad Basin Water Charter and the African Network of Basin Organizations. It also helped establish integrated water resource management plans in Burundi Namibia and Burkina Faso. In terms of project preparation the AWF helped leverage $551M in new financing for eight infrastructure projects that it supported. These included the Brazzaville and Pointe Noire Water Supply Project (Republic of Congo) Mozambique National Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme Botswana Agricultural Water Management and Control Systems Central African Republic Water and Sanitation Project Lake Victoria Basin Commission Water and Sanitation Initiative Liberia Water and Sanitation Project and the International Commission for the Congo-Oubangui-Sangha Basin Sustainable Water Resource Action Plan.

Key Information

Executing Agency:
African Development Bank Group

Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada

Program:
WGM Africa

Last Modified:
September 19, 2025

Development Classifications

DAC Sector:

Water sector policy and administrative management 40%
Water resources conservation (including data collection) 20%
Water supply - large systems 10%
Sanitation - large systems 10%
River basins' development 20%

Aid Type: Contributions to specific-purpose programmes and funds managed by implementing partners

Collaboration: Bilateral

Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation

Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP

Policy Markers
Level 1 Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting)
Level 1 Participatory development and good governance
Major Funding (>$1M)
Budget Breakdown
2004-04-01 to 2005-03-31 $20,000,000 CAD
Geographic Information
000
Project Number: CA-3-A032232003