Accelerating Peri-Urban Water and Sanitation Services in Kasai Oriental and Lomami Provinces Activity
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), people living in peri-urban regions lack adequate water services. Unlike services in the rural and urban areas, peri-urban water services are fragmented. Government responsibilities for it are unclear, while mandates go unfunded. In the country’s Kasai Oriental and Lomami provinces, the 2.5 million peri-urban residents rely on a patchwork system of basic services.
USAID/DRC’s Accelerating Peri-Urban Water and Sanitation Services (DRC WASH) works to increase access to water and sanitation services for peri-urban residents in Kasai Oriental and Lomami provinces. The activity works with water service providers and governments to improve providers’ business models and attract investments from the private sector. DRC WASH achieves this through a six-step capacity building process, which includes an operational assessment, investment planning, and financial planning. By supporting water and sanitation service providers and government entities, DRC WASH fosters the emergence of new peri-urban service models. These, in turn, increase communities’ access to safe drinking water and sanitation services.