Protecting the population from flood risks in Antananarivo

The stagnation of wastewater and recurring floods create serious health and safety problems in Antananarivo. AFD is contributing to improving sanitation and drainage in the capital of Madagascar.

Context

The lack of sanitation is a major problem in Madagascar. Wastewater is not treated and water-borne diseases are the second cause of death in the country. In Antananarivo, which has 2.6 million inhabitants, the sanitation and drainage network is extremely dilapidated. Wastewater stagnates in a number of districts and, during the rainy season, is combined with stormwater and regularly floods a large number of slum areas on the plain.

Since early 2015, over 100,000 people have been displaced or flood victims. 700,000 people are currently living in flood-prone areas in alarming conditions. The public actors in charge of the maintenance of the sanitation network are not sufficiently coordinated and have extremely limited resources. Improving wastewater drainage and flood prevention are two social and health emergencies for Madagascar.

Description

The Antananarivo Integrated Sanitation Program aims to improve living conditions for the residents of the capital of Madagascar. AFD is supporting this program via a EUR 22m loan to the Government of Madagascar, EUR 3m grant and EUR 2.8m delegation of European Union funds. The Government of Madagascar is also providing EUR 6.2m. The program aims to:

Update the city’s urban planning tools in order to better define its investment needs in the sanitation sector;
Invest in the sanitation network and flood control, the priority being the most vulnerable neighborhoods: it involves repairing the capital’s sanitation networks and five pumping stations, creating back-up systems, and hygiene awareness-raising for residents;
Support a sanitation reform: this component aims to clarify the mandate of the various actors and increase their resources, in particular by organizing Sanitation Conferences.

Impacts