ADB extends $35 mln for sanitation projects in Indonesian cities

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is extending a 35 million U.S. Dollars-loan to help Indonesia rehabilitate and expand sanitation facilities in the cities of Medan and Yogyakarta, local media reported here on Wednesday.

Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province, and Yogyakarta, the capital of Yogyakarta province, have a combined population of around 4.5 million people.

The loan will be used to build around 280 communal sanitation facilities in poor areas in the two cities, as well as two wastewater treatment systems for low-cost housing development projects in Medan.

Sewerage systems will be rehabilitated and expanded with up to 28,000 additional household connections.

The Metropolitan Sanitation Management and Health Project will also provide support to mobilize community involvement in the planning, operation and maintenance of communal facilities, and will ensure women are strongly involved in the process.

Sanitation services have steadily improved in Indonesia, but still lag behind many neighboring countries, with partial sewerage coverage only available in a small number of urban centers.

Since the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998, new sanitation investments have been postponed and existing treatment systems have deteriorated due to lack of repair and maintenance.

As a result, many of the poor living in informal settlements suffer high rates of diarrhea, skin diseases and other illnesses caused by polluted water and untreated waste.

To complement the loan, ADB will provide a 500,000 U.S. dollars grant from its Technical Assistance Special Fund to strengthen the capacity and management capabilities of local governments, utilities and communities involved in providing or overseeing sanitation services.

The sanitation projects funded by the ADB would be carried out by Indonesia's Public Works ministry, is expected to be completed around December 2014.

Source:Xinhua