Tanzania is scheduled to get a US$ 93M investment from Japan to fund a new Zanzibar drinking water project in order to improve urban water services. The award results from an agreement signed between Japan’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Goto Shinichi, and the Permanent Secretary of Tanzania’s Ministry of Finance and Planning, Emmanuel Tutuba, on February 4, 2022, at the East African Community (EAC) headquarters.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide the funds to the government. The funding will be used by the Zanzibar Water Authority (ZAWA) to undertake a new project in Unguja Island, Welezo West Zone, Welezo, and Migombani West Zone to upgrade urban water delivery facilities.
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Scope of the Zanzibar drinking water project
The Zanzibar drinking water project consists of various components. The first is the renewal of an existing water source in Unguja, the construction of a storage tank, the installation of distribution pipes, and the connection of houses to the drinking water network. The different facilities will be outfitted with remote monitoring equipment in the project’s second phase.
A portion of the Japanese funding will go toward purchasing vehicles, water meters, and water quality monitoring equipment and hiring a consulting firm to help with detailed design, bidding, construction, supervision, and capacity building for the operation and maintenance of the water distribution facilities.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) will provide financial assistance to the Tanzanian government for this water project. From the commencement of construction, the full facility is projected to be delivered in December 2028.