TUNISIA - Project for the Improvement of the Technical and Energy Performance of the Greater Tunis Water Network (PAP-GT) (AFDB-P-TN-E00-010)

Regions
  • Middle East and North Africa
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Countries
  • Tunisia
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Specific Location
Greater Tunis, governorates of Tunis, Ariana, Ben Arous and Manouba
Whenever identified, the area within countries where the impacts of the investment may be experienced. Exact locations of projects may not be identified fully or at all in project documents. Please review updated project documents and community-led assessments.
Financial Institutions
  • African Development Bank (AFDB)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Approved
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
B
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Voting Date
Nov 23, 2025
Date when project documentation and funding is reviewed by the Board for consideration and approval. Some development banks will state a "board date" or "decision date." When funding approval is obtained, the legal documents are accepted and signed, the implementation phase begins.
Borrower
Government of Tunisia
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Energy
  • Infrastructure
  • Water and Sanitation
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Loan
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Investment Amount (USD)
$ 127.47 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Loan Amount (USD)
$ 127.47 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Project Cost (USD)
$ 170.18 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Bank Documents
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ AFDB website

Updated in EWS Jul 13, 2026

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Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.
As stated by the AfDB, the objective of the project is to improve the living conditions of the population of Greater Tunis by securing water resources and enhancing access to reliable and sustainable drinking water services, while strengthening resilience to climatic and demographic pressures. More specifically, the project seeks to boost the technical performance and energy efficiency of the drinking water network and modernize its management systems in order to reduce water losses, lower energy consumption, improve service continuity, and enhance the overall financial and operational performance of SONEDE. By integrating infrastructure rehabilitation, energy transition solutions and digital management tools, the project aims to deliver a more efficient, resilient and sustainable water service.

 

 

 

The Project for the Improvement of the Technical and Energy Performance of the Greater Tunis Water Network aims to address the growing challenges of water scarcity, aging infrastructure and rising energy costs in Tunisia’s main metropolitan area. The total project cost is estimated at UA 129.4 million (approximately EUR 151.1 million). The project is financed through an African Development Bank loan of UA 95.5 million, complemented by a European Union grant of UA 25.7 million, and a national counterpart contribution of UA 8.2 million provided by the National Water Corporation (SONEDE). The project is implemented by SONEDE, the national public utility responsible for drinking water production and distribution, and aligns with Tunisia’s Water Sector Strategy “Water 2050” as well as the country’s green economy and climate resilience priorities.

 

 

 

The project will benefit the entire population of Greater Tunis, covering the governorates of Tunis, Ariana, Ben Arous and Manouba, with an estimated population of nearly 3 million people, of whom approximately 51 percent are women. Direct benefits include improved reliability of water supply, reduced service interruptions, and enhanced water quality for households, particularly in vulnerable and densely populated areas affected by network degradation. In addition, approximately 500,000 residents in the La Marsa district will benefit in the first phase from the installation of smart water meters enabling real-time monitoring and leak detection. The project will also strengthen the capacities of SONEDE’s nearly 5,900 employees, while generating temporary and indirect employment opportunities through infrastructure works, digital services and energy transition activities, with positive spillover effects on economic activities and quality of life in Greater Tunis.
Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

According to the AfDB, the project is co-financed by the European Union and the Government of Tunisia.


Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

AfDB Team Leader:

Belgacem Ben Sassi
Email: b.bensassi@afdb.org 

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/request-for-documents. Under the AfDBÕs Disclosure and Access to Information policy, if you feel the Bank has omitted to publish information or your request for information is unreasonably denied, you can file an appeal at https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/appeals-process.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at: https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/

How it works

How it works