The African Development Bank and the water and sanitation sector

Established in 1964 with a mandate to promote economic and social development in Africa, the African Development Bank is a regional multilateral development finance institution comprising the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Trust Fund. It makes grants and loans to African governments and to public and private enterprises investing in Africa. The opacity of its operations and its emphasis on major regional infrastructure projects have generated concern among African and international civil society.
This document answers fundamental questions about the functioning of AfDB, what it is, how it is organised, how funds are raised and what services are provided. The Bank is becoming more selective in its approach with a new emphasis on water, infrastructure, energy and transport now accounting for 40 % of operations in low income countries. This document gives an insight of the Bank's involvement in the water and sanitation sector. The AfDB project cycle is elaborated, and how transparency and accountability are organised.