WASHINGTON, January 22, 2025 - The World Bank has approved a $100 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) to help Mali increase access to drinking water and improve the conservation of water sources in beneficiary cities.
The Mali Water Security Support Project (PASEMa) will support improved access to drinking water services in Bamako (particularly the left river bank area), Mopti/Sévaré, San, Ouélessébougou, Dioila, Bafoulabé/Mahina. For Bamako, the works will concentrate on water transfer between Djikoroni-Para, the Missira station, and Kati-Sud, the construction of a pumping station at Missira and a 2,000 m3 water tower; as well as connecting households to the drinking water network.
For secondary cities, the project will build water supply systems to provide 24,000 cubic meters of water per day. This includes production facilities, pumping stations, three water towers with (with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters each) a semi-underground reservoir (1,000 cubic meters), a water distribution network, household connections, and public water points in the outskirts. The project plans to acquire leak detection equipment to reduce water loss, improve the quality of water supply services, and improve efficiency of the water networks to reduce operating costs. Finally, PASEMa will support the development of perimeters to protect water sources located in the Niger and Senegal River basins and supplying the selected cities.
"PASEMa will make it possible to respond in a sustainable manner to the immediate concerns of access to drinking water, especially by prioritizing the preservation of water sources. It also lays the foundation for the long-term resilience of the sector and will contribute to growth in jobs and economic activity in the water sector," said Clara de Sousa, World Bank Country Director for Mali.
The main beneficiaries of PASEMa are households in the project area (Bamako, Mopti/Sévaré, San, Ouélessébougou, Dioila, Bafoulabé/Mahina) and rural population benefiting from restored ecosystems through nature-based solutions. The project will benefit about 500,000 people, of which about 50% will be women and 19.2% youth. Among these beneficiaries, 227,000 people will have access to at least basic water services, 270,000 people will benefit from improved quality of service, and 30,000 people in rural areas near project sites will benefit from ecosystem restoration.
