Tanzania government targets universal water access through National Water Grid

The government of Tanzania is expanding its water infrastructure to provide clean water to all citizens as part of its Development Vision 2050. President Samia Suluhu Hassan pledged to achieve 100 per cent access to safe water, specifically targeting underserved areas.

Minister for Water Jumaa Aweso reported that the government completed 16 water projects within the first 100 days of the president's second term. These projects provided services to more than 118,400 people.

The ministry is currently implementing 71 additional projects that officials expect to benefit approximately 2.89 million people once finished. To reach the 1,575 villages currently lacking water services, the government plans to start with 400 villages where funding is already secured. A central part of this strategy is the National Water Grid, which moves water from resource-rich areas to regions with shortages. The grid draws from Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Nyasa, and the Rufiji River.

Water from Lake Victoria has already reached Tabora, and the ministry is preparing to secure a contractor for a project to supply Dodoma. The government is also pursuing a project worth more than 400bn/- to extend Lake Victoria water to all districts in the Simiyu Region. The government is also constructing large dams to improve water security. The Farkwa Dam in Chemba District will store more than 400 billion litres of water and include a treatment plant.

In the Ruvu River area, the Kidunda Dam project is over 50 per cent complete and will store about 190 billion litres of water. To fund these expansions, the ministry is exploring alternative financing like a Green Bond and a Water Infrastructure Bond.