Access to Basic Services in Rural Areas and Capacity Building Project

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The objectives of the Access to Basic Services in Rural Areas and Capacity Building Project for Gabon are to expand access to water and energy services in targeted rural areas and to establish mechanisms to improve sustainability of service provision. There are three components to the project, the first component being expansion of access to basic services in rural areas. This component will provide access to electricity and water in targeted rural areas (individual and social-public areas) through (a) rehabilitation and construction of rural electrification infrastructure, including installation of solar home systems (SHSs) and mini-grid solutions; (b) construction and installation of wells and water pipes for drinkable water; and (c) provision of goods and equipment required for the purpose. The same villages will benefit from all these activities. The second component is the Implementation support, supervision, and M&E. This component will finance a number of implementation and support activities and an extensive communication, education, and awareness program. It includes four subcomponents: (a) establishment of a specific institutional framework for rural energy and water services; (b) implementation and support activities; (c) communications, education, and awareness; and (d) project management, monitoring, and evaluation. Finally, the third component is the Capacity building and sectoral technical assistance. This component will support the GoG in broader electricity and water sector reform. To support and implement the GoG strategy for the electricity and water sectors, profound changes are required on the part of sector institutions. In this respect, actions to strengthen capacity of these two sectors have been identified and will be supported through the project. The identified activities are mostly at the technical level to assist with policy implementation. However, given that the sectors are approaching a critical juncture (expiration of the SEEG concession), the project will also support the MERH at the policy formulation level (resident advisor to the minister). Also, support will be provided to the sector regulator (ARSEE), the effective role of which remains limited relative to its legal mandate.