China is providing Zambia with $150 million to improve access to water and sanitation services in the capital Lusaka. The new infrastructure will benefit 500,000 people.

The Government of Zambia is launching the Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project to increase access to water and sanitation in Lusaka Province. The initiative is funded with US$150 million from the Chinese government through Exim Bank of China. The first phase of the project involves the construction of a water intake, treatment plant, booster station and transmission lines to provide a total of 50,000 m3 of water per day.

The work, carried out by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), will eventually benefit about 500,000 people in the Zambian capital. According to Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, the goal is “to have access to clean and safe water and adequate sanitation. Once water has been used in our homes, we should find ways to use it again for other purposes, such as agriculture. For China’s ambassador to Zambia, Du Xiaohui, the project will also create 1,000 local jobs in the water sector.

This Chinese funding will not be enough to meet the population’s need for clean water.   The Zambian government intends to increase access to this basic service through the Zambia Water Sector Investment Program announced a few days ago. The initiative aims to mobilize $5.75 billion for the construction of new water supply facilities in the East African country. In addition to improving water supply by 2030, the program will promote the creation of 200,000 formal jobs in water security, industrialization and climate resilience.