Chiponde Border Town Water Supply and Sanitation

Overview
The Chiponde Border Town Water Supply and Sanitation Project will provide water supply and sanitation (WSS) to 7,300 Chiponde residents and 30,000 cross-border travellers per year. The project will build climate resilience, improve health, reduce waterborne diseases and stimulate economic opportunities.
Investment request
£1.8 million in grant funding for upgrading and expansion of the water supply and sanitation system.
Project summary
Chiponde in Malawi is strategically located on the Nacala Transport Corridor servicing Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania. The corridor development is prioritised in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Master Plan (2012–2027) and is critical to enhancing regional and international trade competitiveness, particularly for landlocked countries such as Malawi. SADC has identified the Chiponde–Mandimba border for the development of a one stop border post (OSBP) and related upgrades; therefore, both the town and trade flows are expected to grow.
The Chiponde WSS project will expand and upgrade the existing WSS system. Together with a parallel project in Mandimba, it aims to promote transboundary cooperation between Malawi and Mozambique and increase resilience for the Chiponde population. The initiative will deliver significant social and health impacts and is economically viable, with a positive economic benefit–cost ratio. The revenue generated from the system will be sufficient to support operational costs.
The project is part of a wider CRIDF initiative to support climate-resilient WSS infrastructure at strategic SADC one-stop border posts.
Main sponsor(s)
Southern Region Water Board (SRWB)