Solution: Long-term blended debt financing for climate-resilient bulk water infrastructure.

Key challenge: EMDE infrastructure projects face affordability, preparation, and bankability constraints, especially when resilience features are added.

Context: Kigali needed to expand and secure potable water supply while reducing climate exposure and diversifying away from sole reliance on groundwater.

Solution in practice: EAAIF acted as lead arranger for the Kigali Bulk Water Supply Project, structuring long-tenor financing. The project incorporated climate-resilient design features including elevated control centers, flood-resilient cabling, riparian buffer revegetation, and treatment capacity designed for heavier rainfall and sediment loads.

Impact / outcome: Long-tenor blended financing arranged for the Kigali Bulk Water Supply Project, with climate-resilient design built in.

Next steps: Replicate long-tenor blended financing structures for climate-resilient urban water systems, strengthen project preparation for resilient infrastructure in emerging markets, and build a broader pipeline of bankable city-scale water resilience projects.

Organizations involved:

Authoring: Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)

Actors: Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF)

Implementation partners: Investors & Banks; Infrastructure Owners & Operators; Regulators & Policymakers; Civil Society Organizations