IVORY COAST – The government of Ivory Coast has partnered with the Islamic Development Bank to launch a new US$99.6 million sanitation and drainage project in the country’s capital, Abidjan.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will finance 96% of the project dubbed the Sustainable Improvement of the Sanitation and Drainage Situation (PADSAD) while the remaining 4% will be covered by the State of Ivory Coast.

 (PADSAD) according to state authorities, aims to improve the health of people in the Abidjan district, particularly those in the communes of Cocody, Yopougon, Abobo, Adjamé, Anyama, Koumassi, Marcory and Treichville.

 Though providing enough drainage for storm water, PADSAD will also contribute towards preventing deadly floods such as those of 2018 in Ivory Coast from affecting the lives of Ivorian citizens.

The project entails the construction of 3.5 km of drainage systems to control rainwater in Cocody and 27.1 km in the commune of Yopougon.

Also, within the framework of PADSAD, the government of Ivory Coast plans to connect 10,000 households to the Abidjan district’s sewage network.

To this end, A sewage sludge treatment plant will also be built in the commune of Anyama. The plant will be capable of treating up to 300 m3 of sewage sludge every day.

At least 100 household waste bins will also be installed along the drainage systems that will be built.

Amara Sanogo, the Director General of the National Office of Sanitation and Drainage (ONAD), in charge of the implementation of PADSAD said his company will receive waste and treat it to compost and fertiliser.

At least 100 household waste bins will be installed along the drainage systems that will be built.

Waste management in Ivory Coast, especially in Abidjan District, is a serious health and sanitation problem because of the rapid increase in its population from 125,000 in 1955 to about 4,395,000 inhabitants according to the most recent census.

The annual population growth rate is about 4%, which puts additional pressure on services, in particular, sanitation services.

Only about 75% of waste is collected in Abidjan and disposed of in a landfill site. The remaining 25% remains uncollected, which creates unsanitary conditions in the city of Abidjan.

The new project which was launched in Abidjan, by the Ivorian Minister of Sanitation and Hygiene, Anne Désirée Ouloto will help improve waste management and sanitation in the city which is the largest in Ivory Coast.

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