WASHINGTON — The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$200 million Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) to improve the resilience of potable water supply services in Barbados.
Under this new program, the Board also approved an US$80 million first individual investment loan and US$4 million non-reimbursable financing from the IDB CLIMA pilot program.
The program will support improvements in the reliability and operational efficiency of the Barbados Water Authority’s (BWA) water distribution system, as well as strengthen BWAs technical capacity to design and implement water projects and develop monitoring and reporting capabilities on national goals.
More than 153,000 people will directly benefit from a more reliable water service, particularly in low rainfall periods, while the entire population of Barbados —approximately 280,000 people — will indirectly benefit from the development and implementation of the national Water Resources Management Plan that includes a Drought Management Plan.
The BWA will also improve its operational efficiency and incorporate resilience measures into its designs, contributing to better service delivery.
IDB-supported investments will finance the first phase of rehabilitating the aged network by replacing 100 km of deteriorated and high-risk water pipelines to reduce physical losses. The program will also support interventions to monitor and reduce non-revenue water through improved leak detection, large-scale installation of bulk meters, and enhanced system monitoring.
In addition, the program will finance activities to strengthen BWA’s technical and operational capacity to manage and maintain potable water supply infrastructure. Furthermore, this operation will finance interventions that support Barbados´ agenda to advance innovative green financing solutions.
This operation is aligned with the ONE Caribbean initiative, the IDB Group's comprehensive, regional approach to promoting sustainable development in the Caribbean and Small Island Developing States.
The first individual operation has repayment terms of 25 years, a grace period of 5,5 years, and an interest rate based on SOFR.
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region’s public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes grow and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: https://www.iadb.org/en
Simon, Luis Alejandro
Project Information
Barbados and The IDB