
AAAP in the Media
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Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping Program
Water and sanitation coverage in Sierra Leone is estimated at 58% and 13% respectively of the country’s 7 million inhabitants. Urban water supply coverage is estimated at 74% and urban sanitation coverage at 23%. The densely populated capital city, Freetown, is part of the urban WASH sub-sector. The poor water and sanitation services in the city exacerbate the negative effects of the dense settlement. Women and children bear the overwhelming burden of collecting water in water-starved communities in the city.
The city has less than 4 km of sewers, which discharge directly into the seas without any form of treatment. The poor water and situation is further aggravated by the intense encroachment into and widespread degradation of the Western Area Protected Forest, which forms the watershed and the only water lifeline for the capital city.
The Bank has been actively engaged in the water sector in Sierra Leone for over a decade and has accumulated significant experience in the environment.
The overall objective of the Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping Program is to improve water supply and sanitation services while ensuring the sustainability of the vital aquatic ecosystem in the Western Area/Freetown.
Specific actions/objectives are:
- Water Supply Infrastructure Improvement
- Integrated Infrastructure Improvement
- Capacity for IWRM and Livelihood Improvement
- Project Management
The project aims to achieve a 15% increase in access to safe water supply and a 7% increase in access to improved sanitation in Freetown.
- GCA specialised technical expertise in the area of climate resilient water resource management, catchment protection, and NBS.
- GCA to prepare a detailed term sheet and financial model how the financial structure is financially viable (risk return) in order to achieve the proposal’s objectives, determining the level of concessionally, and demonstrating the coherence between the selected financial instruments, proposed activities and overall project financial structure.
- Rehabilitated and expanded water treatment, transmission, storage and distribution systems.
- Improved solid and liquid waste collection, treatment and disposal services.
- Established infrastructure and enhanced capacity for the effective protection of the Western Area Protected Forest/Watershed.
- Promotion good sanitation, hygiene and child nutrition practices of the primary beneficiaries while facilitating their gainful participation in the improvement of WASH services.
- The project will directly benefit an estimated 1,400,000 people (51% women) benefitted through access to safe water, including new access for 1,000,000 people and restoration of a regular daily water service for 400,000 people.
- Over 2,700 jobs created.
- The Freetown peninsular watershed restored, and impact of the extreme climate events to living conditions reduced.
US$164 million.
US$43 million requested from GCF
African Development Bank participates in the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF)
What: African Development Bank participates in the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF)
Who: African Development Bank, Nordic Innovation and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, with international partners
When: 30 May - 2 June 2023
Where: Helsinki, Finland and online
A delegation led by African Development Bank Director of Climate Change and Green Growth Anthony Nyong, is at the 2023 World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF2023) in the Finnish capital Helsinki.
WCEF2023 is the seventh edition of the annual forum co-organised by Nordic Innovation and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, with international partners, including the African Development Bank. The forum brings together business leaders, policymakers and experts from around the world to present the best circular economy solutions. WCEF examines how societies and businesses can seize new opportunities to accelerate the global transition towards a circular economy to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. WCEF is the world’s best known neutral global circular economy event and platform for the global circularity movement.
To leverage and build on the results of last year’s WCEF and showcase circular economy ambition in Africa, a strong engagement of the African Development Bank is planned at WCEF2023. This includes speaker roles at plenary sessions, side events and hosting an African delegation of six participants from member countries of the African Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) and African organisations to participate and speak at the event alongside the Bank’s mission team.
African Development Bank Director of Climate Change and Green Growth Anthony Nyong will participate in a guided dialogue during a session titled “Unlocking Finance for a circular and regenerative economy” organised by Circle Economy together with European Investment Bank (EIB). ACEA, whose secretariat is based at the African Development Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, will join in a session titled “Circular strategies and road maps,” organised by The Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency.
The African Development Bank will host a stand at the WCEF Exhibition Area. This will give the opportunity to African Circular Economy Facility (ACEF), ACEA and its partners to showcase solutions to a global audience to attract partners and financiers for scaleup.
The Bank organises / has interventions in the following sessions:
TUESDAY, 30 MAY
Plenary Sessions at Helsinki Fair Centre
9:30-10:30
IFI CEN high-level working meeting
13:30 - 14:45
Unlocking finance for a circular and regenerative economy
THURSDAY, 1 JUNE
Accelerator Sessions, venues across Helsinki
8:30-13:00 (UTC+3)
Place: Messukeskus conference centre, Messuaukio 1, Helsinki and online
Accelerator session: African Voices to circular Economy
10:00 – 13:00
Accelerator session: International Financing and Funding for World Circular Economy Business Opportunities
16:00 – 17:30
Accelerator session: A circular economy that works for everyone: ensuring a just and jobs-rich transition to a sustainable future for all

Official WCEF2023 website: https://wcef2023.com/about/
Accelerator Session: https://wcef2023.com/sessions/african-voices-showcasing-circular-economy-ambition-in-africa/
Confirm your live attendance as soon as possible by registering through this link
Livestream on the WCEF2023 website and YouTube channel.
Media contact: Sonia Borrini, Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist, Climate Change and Green Growth Department | email : s.borrini@afdb.org