ADB grants RI $1m for clean water

ADB grants RI $1m for clean water

JAKARTA: The Asian Development Bank said on Wednesday it had approved a US$1 million technical assistance grant to develop community water services and health projects in Indonesia.

In a statement made available to The Jakarta Post, the Bank said the projects would help the government develop schemes to improve the health and the quality of life of people in poor rural and semi-urban communities.

The projects will be carried out in four to six provinces, which have yet to be selected. The Ministry of Health will choose them based on their levels of poverty, water supply and sanitation coverage, and the prevalence of water-related diseases.

Families, communities and local governments will work together for healthier lifestyles and to improve access to water supplies and sanitation services, it said.

Currently, inadequate clean water supplies and sanitation, combined with poor hygiene, are major causes of diarrhea, intestinal worms and skin diseases -- all of which are major health problems in Indonesia.-JP