Bolivia’s water and environment ministry is seeking US$100mn in international funding for the second phase of a program to provide water and sanitation services to residents living just outside the country’s metropolitan areas.
The funding would support potable water and sewerage works in areas outside of La Paz, El Alto, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.
The first phase of the project is already underway, and is being financed by US$100mn in loans and donations from the Spanish international cooperation agency (AECI) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Potable water services in Bolivia’s urban areas improved from 91% coverage to 96% between 1990 and 2006, according to the World Health Organization and Unicef joint monitoring program.
Sanitation services coverage increased by 10 percentage points over the same period, but remains low compared to the rest of the region, at 76%.
The first phase water and sanitation project is expected to benefit some 500,000 people, according to an IDB project document.
Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 25 Jan 2010
