The FINANCIAL — The European Union (EU) through its Regional Trust Fund ‘Madad’, is providing €20 million in grants to co-finance an EBRD investment of €25 million for the construction of a wastewater network in the city of Irbid, in Jordan.
The project also benefits from grant co-financing of US$ 2.5 million from the World Bank’s Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) and €5.9 million from the EBRD Shareholder Special Fund.
The financing package totalling €53 million to Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) will be used to connect households in 15 towns to sewerage networks leading to the Wadi Al Arab wastewater treatment plant. It will also finance the infrastructure for a catchment area of 21.9 km2 and the installation of pumping stations, according to the EBRD.
Over 105,000 residents of the western part of Irbid’s governorate, 18 per cent of whom are Syrians, will have sanitation services for the first time. Population growth following Syrian refugee resettlement has put unprecedented strain on the local wastewater network, placing extra pressure on the outdated infrastructure for wastewater collection.
The agreement was signed today by the EU Ambassador to Jordan, Andrea Fontana, and the EBRD’s Regional Director of the Eastern and Mediterranean region, Heike Harmgart, during the EBRD’s Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Jordan.
Currently, only 63 per cent of the Jordanians have access to wastewater networks and treatment systems. As part of its country strategy, the EBRD is implementing a comprehensive wastewater investment programme. The western Irbid wastewater project is the third of its kind to be implemented by the EBRD in Jordan.
Since Jordan joined the EBRD in 2012, the Bank has invested €1 billion in 40 projects benefiting various sectors of the country’s economy.
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