UAE’s leading financial entity, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has provided a total of $544.2 million (AED 2 billion) in funding for various water projects around the world, which contributed to the growth of agriculture, industry, and energy in 18 countries.
ADFD’s commitment to supporting UN efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is reflected in its emphasis on water, especially SDG6, which aims to ensure clean water and sanitation for all.
In a report published on World Water Day, ADFD stated that the dams and water networks built with its financing in various countries have enabled their populations to access clean drinking water. ADFD has also helped to reclaim vast tracts of agricultural land in partner countries, improve crop quality and ensure food security.
The theme of this year’s World Water Day is groundwater. The fact that more than 2 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water services, the World Water Day underscores the need for strong action to address the global water crisis.
Approximately 40 percent of the total amount of water used for irrigation is derived from groundwater aquifers, ADFD added.
ADFD Director General, Mr. Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi stated that “From the very beginning, ADFD has accorded great importance to the water and irrigation sector, owing to its significance in relation to the sixth Sustainable Development Goal, which is to ensure that everyone in the world has access to clean drinking water by 2030. The effect of the availability of water or the lack of it will reflect on many other sectors.”
ADFD-funded water, irrigation and agriculture schemes in developing countries have brought many economic and social benefits, including health benefits and food self-sufficiency, and created tens of thousands of jobs in beneficiary countries.
“The ADFD-financed dams also generate about 9,000 MW of hydroelectricity”, Mr. Al Suwaidi added.
Water Projects Financed by ADFD
Water System in Santa, Argentina
In 2019, ADFD funded the $80 million water network project in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, as part of its efforts to create drinking water conditions for people in developing countries. It satisfies the needs of more than 300,000 people in 19 regions
The fund also provided allocation for the expansion of the major water treatment plant in Desvario Oregon, which feeds on the Corunda River. The project involves the distribution and expansion of approximately 111 km of major water lines, the installation of 4 pumping stations in four different cities, and the construction of 8 water tanks in various parts of Santa Fe.
Samandini Dam, Burkina Faso
In 2019, ADFD contributed $10 million to the development of the Samandini Dam in Burkina Faso. The project will cover a 2,900 meter long and 23.9-meter high dam with a storage capacity of one billion cubic meters and a 2.9 MW power plant.
The work also includes the installation of irrigation systems to reclaim 1,500 hectares of agricultural land in the dam basin. The project has created about 100,000 jobs and contributed to efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth in Burkina Faso.
Rural Water Project in Zanzibar, Tanzania
In 1993, the ADFD financed a $4.89 million for the rural water project in Zanzibar to ensure adequate water supply in Tanzania. It has become a reliable source of drinking water for seven villages on the two islands. In addition, it improved the living standards and health of the locals.
Serat Dam, Tunisia
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development helped build a valley dam with a storage capacity of 21 million cubic meters to supply irrigation water to the Ouled Ghanem and Mahjouba areas. The project increased agricultural production within a geographical area with a large population.
The project includes the construction of the dam, ensuring facilities for water storage, pumping and transportation, as well as installation of hydro-mechanical equipment, irrigation and drainage systems.
Teesta Dam, Bangladesh
ADFD has provided a concessional loan of $14.69 million for the construction of a dam on the Teesta River. The project involved the construction of a 44 km long Dinajpur Canal, its secondary and tertiary canals, a bridge across the Bogra Canal, its regulator and exit outlets, which irrigated more than 48,000 hectares of land and benefited more than 68,000 people.
