The semi-arid inland area of Paraiba, comprising the Agreste Paraibano, Borborema and Sertão Paraibano regions, suffers from water scarcity and frequent water supply interruptions. For the Project, the State’s authorities have selected 16 municipalities in the inland area, in which water shortage is especially acute: (i) 10 municipalities in the Agreste Paraibano region with access to piped water for 114 days in a year on average and (ii) 6 municipalities in Sertao Paraibano region with access to piped water for 179 days in a year on average.

The Project consists of the following components:

Component 1: Curimatau – Phase II, to supply piped water to around 77 thousand inhabitants of the Agreste Paraibano region by building 182 km of water mains, 7 pumping stations and 9 service reservoirs.

Component 2: MRH89, to supply piped water to around 51 throusand inhabitants of the Sertão Paraibano region by building 103 km of water mains, 5 pumping stations, 2 service reservoirs and 2 water treatment plants.

The proposed NDB loan will support the expansion of Paraiba’s water supply infrastructure, thus enhancing water availability and resilience to climate change, in line with the State Water Resources Plan/Plano Estadual de Recursos Hídricos da Paraíba approved by the State of Paraiba’s government in June 2021.