About 550,000 Ghanaians in low income urban communities of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA) are expected to receive improved water and sanitation services in the coming months.

This follows the approval of an additional financing of US$ 125 million by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors from the International Development Association (IDA) to support Government in the implementation of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA SWP).

“Providing equitable access to safe and improved water supply and sanitation services is essential to improve people’s lives particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this project, we are committed to provide better access to water and sanitation to the most vulnerable, therefore improving lives and reducing poverty,” said Pierre Laporte, World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The additional financing to the GAMA SWP will also help strengthen the management of environmental sanitation services in the GAMA and GKMA. It will provide water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to schools and healthcare facilities and promote handwashing.

Households benefiting from toilets and/or water connections will benefit from handwashing facilities and relevant handwashing training.

“By promoting the use of safe sanitation and hygiene practices, the existing project has enabled vulnerable communities combat the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. While encouraging results have been achieved so far, more work is needed to address remaining challenges and ensure sustainable universal coverage by 2030,” said Yitbarek Tessema, Senior Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist at the World Bank.

The project will also improve coordination between key agencies and strengthen the capacity and performance of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies by reducing Non-Revenue Water, improving wastewater management, addressing issues of pollution, climate-change and translating development plans into focused actions.

The government is expected to replicate the successful GAMA SWP approaches in Kumasi, and further expand services to targeted beneficiaries.

Overall, some of the key results include: provide 250,000 people with household toilets; 200,000 persons with institutional sanitation facilities; and 500,000 people with improved water services.