Source - Funding Opportunities

Africa: new financing strategies for the water sector

03 Oct 07

The Water and Sanitation Program-Africa (WSP-AF), the OECD and the EU Water Initiative's (EUWI) Finance Working Group have agreed to support the development of a financing strategy for water infrastructure in at least one African country. WSP-AF and the OECD have both developed water financing models.

Latin America: governments to create rural drinking water fund

13 Jul 07

The governments of Ibero-America are working on a plan for a cooperation fund to increase rural drinking water supply throughout Latin America. The fund will focus on training institutes for water and sanitation and on developing small rural drinking water projects.

Concessional loans: on-lending practices of ADB loans can harm the poor says WaterAid

13 Jun 07

Asian Development Bank concessional loans for water supply and sanitation projects are being lent and re-lent by intermediaries at increasing interest rates and reach end borrowers at relatively high rates of interest. Poor users can often not afford to connect to services because projects are forced to impose high tariffs to be able to repay the loans.

Middle East: Nobel laureates create fund for sustainable science development

13 Jun 07

Nobel laureates have created a US$ 10 million fund for sustainable science development in the Middle East. Solving water shortages will be one of the areas of research.

East Africa: Ministerial Conference on Financing Water

22 May 07

Ministers from Eastern Africa agreed that there was a need to double efforts in financing of water. Despite the financial pledges made by the richest countries, national project proposals were often said to be rejected as 'unbankable'. A Ministerial Accord was signed with more than 10 recommendations on increased funding for the sector.

Financial incentives: cash rewards boost rural sanitation in South Asia

22 May 07

Governments in South Asia are using innovative financial incentives to promote sanitation and hygiene behaviour changes in rural communities, marking a shift from subsidy-led toilet provision toward the promotion of open defecation–free (ODF) villages.

Asia: ADB, UN-HABITAT partnership commits US$ 20 million in grant funds for water for the urban poor

05 Mar 07

In the second phase of their partnership (2007-2011), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and UN-HABITAT will each commit US$ 10 million in grant funds for drinking water and sanitation facilities for Asia’s urban poor. Activities that the partnership will support, include the Water for Asian Cities programme.

Grants: DFID launches £100 million Governance and Transparency Fund

01 Mar 07

The UK Department for International Development (DFID) has launched the criteria for its GBP 100 million Governance and Transparency Fund. It will be open to not-for-profit organisations, not only in the UK but also abroad.

Emerging donors: Finland assists Hungarian ODA programme, India funds Jamaican rural water programme

01 Mar 07

The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has won an EU tender to help new member state, Hungary, develop its Overseas Development Assistance programme. One of Hungary’s focus areas for aid is water resources management. The Indian Government has given Jamaica a US$9 million loan to purchase equipment for its rural water development programme.