OREANDA-NEWS. April 04, 2016. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a grant agreement (G/A) with the Republic of Benin to provide grant aid of up to 1.071 billion yen for assistance for the Project for Access Improvement to Drinking Water in Two Communes, Glazoue and Dassa-Zoume.

This project will develop new water resources and install water supply facilities, including water distribution pipes and elevated tanks, in two cities (Glazoue and Dassa-Zoume) in central Benin which faces the challenge of a low water supply ratio. This will expand the amount of water supplied to the target areas, contributing to a reduction in waterborne diseases and improving the living environment for residents.

In the Republic of Benin, national efforts are underway to ensure residents have access to safe drinking water and a goal was set to reach 75 percent in cities by the year 2015. However, water resources in Glazoue and Dassa-Zoume are limited, making it difficult to obtain the water required, and the water supply ratio remains low, approximately 50 percent (2013). In recent years, there have been additional challenges such as an increase in the water demand due to a rising population, and a drop in the amount of water that can be pumped due to an excessive use of existing wells, making the water supply situation worse in the target areas.

JICA has established a record of providing assistance to Benin for underground water development, rural water supply facilities and other projects through grant aid. This project will develop new water sources through the construction of deep wells and other facilities, projecting increases in the amount of the water supply of 2.4 times to Glazoue and 3.8 times to Dassa-Zoume. It is expected that the number of residents gaining access to safer water will be a total of 32,000 people in both cities. Going forward, JICA will continue to provide cooperation to improve the quality of life for residents in Benin.

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