(Press Release): On Sunday 30 October 2016, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Drinking Water and Sanitation Unit (DWSU)

of the Ministry of Water Resources, Electricity and Dams held a validation workshop at the Mamoun Beheiry Centre in Khartoum, to review the Darfur Water Investment Plan Study (DWIP). The DWIP is the final activity undertaken in the context of the Darfur Water Project for Conflict Resolution and Peace Building, which the AfDB financed with Euro 3.3 million from its African Water Facility (AWF). The other activity of the project entailed the construction and rehabilitation of water and sanitation structures in rural towns across the five states of Darfur and capacity building at both the states and locality levels to maintain the rehabilitated structures.
The workshop was presided over by Dr. Tabitha Butros, the State Minister of Water Resources, Dr. Abdul Kamara, the Resident Representative of the African Development Bank, Prof. Munzoul Assal, the Director of Mamoun Beheiry Centre and Eng. Mohammed Ammar, the Director General of Drinking Water Corporation. It brought together participants from development partners active in the water sector, the academia, civil society and the private sector. The workshop sought to discuss and validate the findings of the DWIP study, which covers 25 rural towns in Darfur, earmarked for the development of bankable projects in the water sector.
In her remarks, the State Minister of Water recognized the achievements made by the Darfur Water Project and expressed appreciation of the Bank’s exemplary engagement in the water sector in Sudan. She reiterated the importance of coordination amongst development partners, which she mentioned, is key in maximizing developmental impact on the ground. The Resident Representative of the African Development underscored that the DWIP study serves as an instrument for resource mobilization, a tool for policy dialogue and as an instrument for donor coordination in the water and sanitation sectors. He also emphasized that the study will hopefully bring on board more development partners to support water projects in Darfur as the plan seeks to leverage between USD 100-150 million of additional funding for the sector in Darfur over the next few years. Prof Musa Tibin Musa Adam, the Federal Minister of Animal Resources, who also attended the workshop, emphasized the importance of water to animals and lauded the positive impact that investment in water is likely to have on people’s livelihood. The richness of the discussions in the validation workshop was a clear reflection of the keen interest of development partners and stakeholders active in the water and sanitation sectors.