16 April 2013: The Zimbabwe Multi-Donor Trust Fund (ZimFund), managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), launched a water supply and sanitation infrastructure development project that aims to increase the availability, quality and reliability of water, restore wastewater treatment capacity and reduce water-borne related diseases.

The Urgent Water Supply and Sanitation Rehabilitation (UWSSR) project will rehabilitate water treatment and sewage facilities. According to AfDB, this rehabilitation is expected to result in improvements in water and sanitation services and decreased water pollution, as well as improvements in local health and well-being.

The project will develop water supply and sanitation infrastructure in the Chegutu, Chitungwiza, Harare, Kwekwe, Masvingo and Mutare municipalities. In addition to the water and sanitation project, ZimFund is also supporting an Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation project to rehabilitate electricity distribution facilities and increase electricity access throughout Zimbabwe. This project will compliment the UWSSR by improving the electricity supply at water treatment plants.

The Zim-Fund was created in 2010 by a group of donors to support priority recovery activities of the Government of Zimbabwe. It aims to contribute to early recovery and development efforts in Zimbabwe by mobilizing donor resources and promoting donor coordination in Zimbabwe. The focus areas of the Fund are the water and sanitation, and energy sectors. [AfDB Press Release] [ZimFund Website]