World Bank's $33m project targets North-Western Province

For communities in North-Western Province long struggling with unreliable water and poor sanitation, meaningful change may finally be on the horizon.

Provincial administration officials hosted a high-level meeting this week with the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation and a World Bank implementation team, as part of an ongoing support mission for a project that could transform water access across the region.

The initiative — the Zambia Water Supply and Sanitation Services in Growth Centres Programme — is backed by a $33 million grant from the World Bank's International Development Association. It targets selected commercial utilities including the North-Western Water and Sewerage Company, alongside utilities in Kafubu, Luapula, and Western Province.

The delegation was led by Engineer Charles Kalapa, Programme Coordinator under the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, who is in the province for an implementation support mission.

North-Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Luckson Mulumbi welcomed the visit, pointing to population pressure as a key driver of the province's water needs. "North-Western Province has experienced a rapid increase in population due to mining activities. We must therefore prioritise the provision of clean and safe water for our people, because water is life," he said.

The programme has been effective since September 2025, with implementation units now established and performance improvement plans underway. Once completed, it is expected to directly benefit 99,000 people, with a further 1.7 million benefiting indirectly through improved service delivery across the country.