AfDB Approves US $8.6M Grant to Strengthen Water, Sanitation & Climate Resilience in Rural Burundi

In a major boost to climate‑resilient infrastructure and community livelihoods in one of the world's most climate‑vulnerable countries, the African Development Bank (AfDB) — through its Climate Action Window — has approved an additional US $8.6 million grant to support the first phase of the Water Sector and Climate Resilience Building Support Programme (PASEREC) in the Republic of Burundi. This latest financing comes on top of an initial funding tranche of approximately US $13.3 million, approved in late 2023, and will allow the programme to be extended for an additional year, stretching its implementation timeline through 2029.

Programme overview and context

PASEREC is designed to tackle the twin challenges of water insecurity and climate‑shock vulnerability across rural Burundi. According to project documentation, the Phase 1 objective is to "build resilience to address the impacts of climate change and ensure the improvement of socio‑economic living conditions" of the targeted populations. (African Development Bank) The programme targets five rural provinces — Bubanza, Cibitoke, Cankuzo, Rutana and Ruyigi — which are among those most affected by recurrent droughts and floods, and are highly exposed to cholera outbreaks. Under the expanded financing, PASEREC will deliver:

• Safe and reliable drinking‑water access to approximately 500,000 people in these five provinces;

• Improved sanitation infrastructure, including eco‑friendly sanitation facilities;

• Construction of 17 solar‑powered water‑supply systems, plus new irrigation systems to bolster food‑production and household incomes;

• The creation of about 2,700 jobs, of which 80 % will be reserved for youth and women, tied to small‑scale agriculture, water‑system maintenance and climate‑smart farming operations.

Infrastructure and capacity components

In line with AfDB documentation, the original Phase 1 envisaged the construction of a network of water‑supply and distribution infrastructure: for example, 18 electrically‑powered systems, about 30 water‑catchment works including high‑flow boreholes, and roughly 300 km of pipeline. (Smart Water Magazine) With the additional grant, the focus emphasises:

• Solar‑powered pumping and water supply systems, implying off‑grid or low‑energy operations well suited for rural terrain;

• Eco‑sanitation facilities (e.g., latrines near schools, health centres, markets) integrated into broader WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) resilience efforts;

• Irrigation systems linked to climate‑smart agriculture, to help households both adapt to and mitigate climate stressors, boosting food‑security and livelihood‑diversification.

Institutional strengthening, gender and community empowerment

Beyond physical infrastructure, PASEREC places strong emphasis on institutional capacity, community ownership and gender‑responsive design. Key features include:

• Training and empowerment of local cooperatives and water‑service management entities to ensure sustainable operations of water systems and sanitation facilities;

• Dedicated support to women‑ and youth‑led agro‑pastoral cooperatives, providing new agricultural skills, start‑up finance and access to small‑scale business opportunities in maintenance, irrigation and related value‑chains;

• Gender equality embedded in design: 80 % of the 2,700 expected jobs earmarked for women and youth, and women's involvement prioritised in training, decision‑making and access to finance;

• A climate‑risk assessment undertaken in collaboration with the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), which helped identify priority adaptation interventions — e.g., spring‑protection, re‑forestation, catchment restoration — and unlock additional climate‑finance via AfDB's Climate Action Window. (Global Center on Adaptation)

Why this matters for Burundi and climate‑resilience Burundi ranks among the most climate‑vulnerable countries globally, with frequent alternating episodes of intense rainfall (floods, landslides) and extended dry spells. These conditions place heavy stress on water infrastructure, agriculture, food security and public health systems. (Global Center on Adaptation) By focusing on water and sanitation infrastructure tied to climate‑resilient agriculture and local job‑creation, PASEREC addresses multiple interlinked development challenges:

• Access to clean water reduces disease burden, improves school attendance and frees more time for women to engage in economic activities;

• Green jobs and climate‑smart agriculture strengthen livelihoods in areas prone to environmental shocks;

• Sustainable service‑delivery models through community and cooperative ownership boost the long‑term resilience of infrastructure;

• Gender‑ and youth‑inclusive design ensure that the most vulnerable populations gain from the investments, promoting social equity.

As the AfDB's Division Manager for Water & Sanitation, Mecuria Assefaw, stated: "This project is about dignity, health and opportunity, while also demonstrating the central role of water for the sustainable socio‑economic development of Burundi." The additional financing underscores the Bank's commitment to climate‑adaptation interventions in fragile states and its belief in integrated infrastructure + livelihood models.

Implementation timeline and financing details

• Initial grant agreements for Phase 1 were signed in November 2023, totalling approximately US $13.15 million. (afdb.africa-newsroom.com)

• The new additional grant of US $8.6 million will allow an extension of Phase 1 implementation until 2029, thus providing extra time to complete construction, training and commissioning of services in the targeted provinces.

• Funding partners include the AfDB (via its Climate Action Window), the GCA (providing technical assistance and co‑finance) and the Government of Burundi (co‑financing and institutional support).

• The broader programme runs in partnership with provincial/local authorities and community cooperatives, aligning with Burundi's national development strategy and its goal of universal access to safe drinking water. (Global Center on Adaptation)

Key risks and considerations While this initiative holds strong promise, several factors will determine its ultimate success:

• Ensuring that new water and sanitation systems are maintained sustainably beyond the construction phase — institutional capacity and local management will be key.

• Local‑level climate shocks (e.g., major flood or drought events) could still disrupt infrastructure or service provision; resilience features must be robust.

• Monitoring and measuring the socio‑economic and gender‐impact dimensions (employment of youth/women, improved incomes, hygiene behaviour) will require good data systems and ongoing oversight.

• Coordination across agencies, provinces and communities in a fragile country context remains a challenge; clear governance arrangements and accountability are essential.

Looking ahead With the additional financing now secured, PASEREC's Phase 1 enters a critical implementation period. Over the next several years, expectations are that:

• The majority of the targeted infrastructure (solar‑water systems, sanitation facilities and irrigation networks) will be completed and handed over.

• Employment outcomes for youth and women will begin to materialise, and follow‑on income from climate‑smart agriculture should increase household resilience.

• The lessons from PASEREC's integrated model of water + sanitation + livelihoods may inform future phases of the programme and other AfDB interventions in climate‑vulnerable countries.

• Further financing may be leveraged — for example via GCA's adaptation pipeline or through additional AfDB windows — to scale up to new provinces, or deepen the impact into sanitation/hygiene behaviour, micro‑finance for cooperatives, or expanded infrastructure networks.

In conclusion, the AfDB's additional US $8.6 million grant elevates the significance of the PASEREC programme in Burundi — anchoring water‑and‑climate resilience at the heart of rural development, with a strong focus on inclusion, jobs and sustainability. The coming years will be pivotal in translating the investment into tangible improvements in water access, well‑being, economic opportunity and climate resilience for hundreds of thousands of people across Burundi.