More than half a million Malagasy people in the cities of Antananarivo, Mahajanga, and Toliara now have access to clean water thanks to a public-private partnership between the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Coca Cola Foundation, and other partners.
Through the $8.5 million Water and Development Alliance (WADA), the partnership has, since 2017, constructed 350 water distribution points; promoted good hygiene practices; and improved the operations of Madagascar’s national water utility, JIRAMA, including by reducing water loss and improving its water quality management.
“The WADA project has been a successful collaboration with leading companies and foundations, the Malagasy government, JIRAMA, water and sanitation experts from the non-profit sector, and most importantly, the communities themselves to create solutions to the issue of access to clean water in Madagascar,” USAID Mission Director Anne N. Williams said at a closing ceremony for the project.
Created in alignment with the Government of Madagascar’s priority of improving water and sanitation across the country, WADA was implemented by Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor, a United Kingdom-based NGO, in partnership with the Global Environment and Technology Foundation and JIRAMA. It was co-funded by USAID and the Coca Cola Foundation.
According to the World Bank, 12 percent of Antananarivo’s 3.2 million residents lack access to basic water services, while in Mahajanga and Tulear, 11 percent and 16 percent, respectively, lack these services. WADA worked in these three key cities and 19 surrounding communes where significant need for clean water access and sanitation services was identified. The project also supported improvements to six JIRAMA laboratories for testing water quality.
While the WADA activity is closing, USAID commitment to improving water and sanitation in Madagascar has not, having provided about $46 million in assistance to WASH since 2017, and major new WASH activities in both rural and urban areas are planned to start next year. The United States stands side by side with Madagascar like the mpirahalahy mianala to help improve the health and well-being of the Malagasy people.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Madagascar.
