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Water
SUEZ and the Senegalese government awarded by the UN for the SEN'EAU PPP, a sustainable model for high-quality public water services in Africa
At the 9th International Forum on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Belgrade, Serbia (May 14th to 16th), SEN'EAU, a joint venture between SUEZ and the Senegalese government, was awarded the first prize for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). This award is given to the most ambitious project to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.
In a context of climate change, population growth and rapid urbanization in Senegal, which are increasing pressure on water resources, SEN'EAU is an example of a successful public-private partnership between SUEZ, a leading water services company, and the Senegalese government. For five years, SEN’EAU has been providing continuous access to quality water for 10 million people in Senegal.
We are very proud to be awarded the 1st prize for Public-Private Partnerships by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. This is particularly significant as SEN'EAU was the only African project selected among 60 initiatives worldwide. It is a wonderful recognition of the work accomplished by the SEN'EAU and SUEZ teams, and we thank the Senegalese government for its trust. The results achieved in five years can serve as a model for other countries as the partnership implemented in Senegal is replicable and adaptable to local needs, while remaining faithful to the principles of ecology, digital transition, local integration and sovereignty promoted by the UNECE. We are determined to keep working with our African partners to develop this public-private partnership model.Pierre Pauliac , Interim Co-CEO & Chief Operating Officer Water
The SEN'EAU model allows the Senegalese government to retain sovereignty over water management, a strategic and priority area of public policy, while benefiting from SUEZ's expertise and technologies. The Group brings its expertise and capacity for innovation to the project, in particular its technical expertise through digital tools and the improvement of drinking water production and distribution processes.
In five years, the SEN'EAU public-private partnership has brought tangible benefits to the Senegalese population:
- High quality water (WHO standards) is distributed 24 hours a day in urban and peri-urban areas;
- Use of a local resource to disinfect water via electro-chlorination;
- Modelling of networks and the implementation of AI-based production and distribution management platforms have increased the amount of water available to Dakar residents (+200,000 m3 of water available per day thanks to the Senegalese government’ investments and a 99% plant availability rate);
- SEN'EAU is working in partnership with consumer associations to jointly develop water services, which has resulted in the introduction of a new water bill model and an online agency platform. Consumers report 93% confidence in the water service.
In addition, SEN'EAU pays particular attention to the environmental and social conditions of its mission:
- Solar farm projects under construction will cover 32% of the energy needs of the two main water production plants (avoiding 27,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year);
- Thanks to the know-how transfer programme, 25,000 hours of training are provided each year to SEN'EAU employees. The company has created a vocational training programme, the “CAP canalisateurs” (plumber's certificate), which has enabled 100 young people who had dropped out of school to find long-term employment in five years.
This successful partnership between the Senegalese government and SUEZ illustrates the relevance of the PPP model in ensuring a sustainable and high-quality water service for the Senegalese population. It also demonstrates how digital and ecological transformation efforts can be leveraged to improving public water services. It is this combination of actions that has been awarded by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).