Tanzania to launch U.S. $ 20 billion water investment programme

The government of Tanzania has announced that it will launch a U.S. $ 20 billion water investment programme in the course of 2023. The aim of the programme, which will run from 2023 to 2030, will be to boost water security in Tanzania through investments in four key areas. The first of these, accounting for 40% of investments, is investment in social well-being: investments to improve access to water and sanitation services, the promotion of gender equality and social inclusion, and livelihood improvement. Secondly, the programme will invest in water governance – accounting for 8% of expenditures - by strengthening institutions, investing in human resources development, and leveraging other investments. Thirdly, the programme will focus on facilitating economic development, absorbing 32% of investments, through strategic investments in water resources development and management. Finally, the programme will focus on improving climate resilience and environmental sustainability, which will take up an estimated 20% of the budget.

The Tanzanian water investment programme being developed with technical support from the Global Water Partnership’s Tanzania and Southern Africa offices. The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa offices hosts the Secretariat of the Continental African Water Investment Programme (AIP), an African Union (AU) initiative which was launched at the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal in 2022. The AIP has signalled an investment shortfall to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation across the African continent and aims to ensure the investment of U.S. $ 30 billion a year to close the investment gap.

Zambia was the first country to launch a national level water investment programme as envisaged under the AIP: the Zambia Water Investment Programme was launched in July 2022 with an investment envelope of U.S. $ 5.75 billion. Zanzibar also has a water investment programme, announced in March 2022, with an investment portfolio of U.S. $ 665 million.