Kiribati is also supported by Green Climate Fund which will provide grant cofinancing equivalent £23.84m for the drinking water project

ADB

Image: ADB to support water resilience in Kiribati. Photo: Courtesy of Jürgen Maag/Pixabay

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide a $13 (£10m) grant for Kiribati Island in Oceania, for safe, reliable and climate-resilient water supply.

ADB’s grant is part of $61.83m (£51.48m) South Tarawa Water Supply Project. The Green Climate Fund will provide grant co-financing of $28.63m (£23.84m), which ADB will administer.

The Government of Kiribati will also offer cash contribution of $1.49m (£1.24m) and an in-kind provision of $5.75m (£4.79m) for the water project. The World Bank has also agreed to offer grant co-financing for the project, subject to approval later this year.

The project includes the construction of climate-resilient and low-carbon water supply infrastructure, and enhancing capacity building for the staff of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy along with the Public Utilities Board to better manage water supply infrastructure.

It will also include an awareness campaign in the project community about water, sanitation, and hygiene practices. The activities are expected to contribute to the sustainability of the project.

The project could be completed by 2027

To be managed and supervised by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy, the Project Management Unit project, it is expected to be completed in 2027.

South Tarawa in Kiribati is considered to be a highly urbanised area with nearly 62,000 people and land and potable water resources are overburdened.

ADB Pacific Urban Development Specialist Alexandra Conroy said: “The planned improvements to the water supply through the cofinanced South Tarawa Water Supply Project will help make people healthier, as well as boost social and economic development in South Tarawa.

“The new climate-resilient water supply will be sourced from a seawater desalination plant.”

Previously, Kiribati received $29m (£24m) grant from GCF and a $15m (£12.4m) grant from ADB to provide the entire population of South Tarawa with climate resilient water supply through a seawater desalination plant.