ADB approves $180m loan to construct water transmission system in Yangon

“The Yangon City Water Resilience Project will address critical water infrastructure needs associated with bulk water supply in Yangon City and strengthen water security,” said ADB Principal Urban Development Specialist Alan Baird.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $180 million loan to construct a 34-kilometre water transmission system that will help transfer 818million litres of water a day to Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar.

“The Yangon City Water Resilience Project will address critical water infrastructure needs associated with bulk water supply in Yangon City and strengthen water security,” said ADB Principal Urban Development Specialist Alan Baird. “It will help improve the resilience of the country’s major economic hub and support inclusive, sustainable economic growth. Safe, piped water also comes with better sanitation and hygiene, which is critical to controlling the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).”

Yangon accounts for 23% of Myanmar’s gross domestic product. At 5.2 million people, it has 10% of the country’s population. The city’s population rose 2.2% a year on average from 2014 to 2019, but fewer than half of the households have access to piped water. For many of those customers, water services are intermittent and water quality varies. The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) is seeking to address these issues with the support of ADB.

ADB’s assistance will help the government build new infrastructure, such as an intake structure at the Ngamoeyeik Reservoir, an online pumping station 900 meters downstream, and a dedicated 2.4 meter-diameter pipeline connecting the reservoir to the Nyaungnhapin water treatment plant. The project will contribute to YCDC’s efforts to reinforce the resilience of the water supply system and expand service areas.

The project will strengthen YCDC’s ability to operate and manage water services and become more responsive to climate change. It will help YCDC to prepare a roadmap to strengthen its self-financing capacity and meet the growing demands for water services.