BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 29. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed two new loan agreements totaling 30 million euros to support water infrastructure in Tunisia, Trend reports.
The financing includes a 22 million euro loan to Tunisia’s national water utility Sonede and an 8 million euro loan to the Tunisian government. Both are backed by a guarantee from the European Commission.
The funds will support the completion of a drinking water supply project in Greater Tunis, Tunisia’s most populous region. The project involves constructing a new treatment plant in Bejaoua, installing pipelines, pumping stations, and reservoirs to serve the wider metropolitan area, including future urban developments such as Tunis Financial Harbour.
In response to an expected 50% rise in water demand by 2040, the investment aims to improve water security and service reliability. The project is co-financed equally with the Agence française de développement (AFD) under the Mutual Reliance Initiative.
In addition, the EIB has launched a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to support the use of nature-based solutions in Tunisia’s sanitation sector. A study will assess potential applications in towns with fewer than 3,000 residents. Its results will be presented at an event in Tunis on 19 May to help identify a pilot project.
The EU and EIB are also providing 5 million euros in technical assistance to support Tunisia’s Ministry of Economy and Planning in preparing new public investment projects focused on sustainability and resilience.