Infrastructure projects aim to solve water shortages in Antananarivo

Residents in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, face irregular water access as the city struggles to meet daily demand.

In neighborhoods like Ambohitrarahaba, some households remain without water for over a week, forcing people to purchase water in containers or wait until the middle of the night to fill their reserves. In other areas, such as Avaradoha and Ambodivona, water may only flow between 2:00 and 5:00 in the morning.

The Jirama, a local utility company, attributes recent distribution issues to the connection of a new production unit in Mandroseza to the existing network. This process requires pumps to be stopped, which causes a delay in water reaching elevated or distant areas as pipes refill. To manage the shortage, the company maintains water towers and uses tanker trucks to supply affected sectors.

Professor Henri Rasamoelina, a water resource management specialist, states that the city requires 300,000 cubic meters of water per day but currently produces only about 200,000 cubic meters. While the Mandroseza expansion added 30,000 cubic meters to the daily output, it does not cover the full deficit. Rasamoelina also notes that degraded pipes may cause water losses of up to 20 percent. To address these gaps, the Amoron'Ankona project aims to build a new plant powered by the Ikopa river.

This facility is expected to produce 50,000 cubic meters per day by the end of 2027. Additionally, Rasamoelina suggests building dams and reservoirs near current water intakes and increasing the forest cover from 9 percent to 35 percent to protect water sources. Currently, the World Bank is funding a project to replace large meters at Route Digue to improve long-term access.