AfDB greenlights EUR 82 mn water resilience loan to Tunisia: The African Development Bank (AfDB) signed off on a EUR 81.9 mn loan and guarantee agreements to help finance Tunisia’s Treated Wastewater Quality Improvement Project For Climate Resilience Building, according to a statement released last week. The project — approved in December — will be implemented from 2024 to 2028.
The details: The project involves upgrading Tunisia’s electromechanical and electrical equipment by introducing 13 solar farms with a combined 6 MW capacity to power 19 wastewater treatment capacity across 11 governorates in the country. The treated water will be used to seed more than 3k hectares of agricultural land around the planned water treatment facilities, the statement notes.
Tunisia’s climate-driven water woes: Months of drought and intense heat waves in Tunisia over the last years led the North African country to call for the establishment of a joint program to alleviate the impact of climate change on economic development. The World Bank forecasts 71% of climate-related GDP losses in Tunisia by 2050 will be attributable to water shortages, noting inaction to shore up water supplies and step up its flooding and coastal protections could drop the country’s GDP up to 3.4% — translating to USD 1.8 bn annually — by 2030.