Under the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Finance (WASH-FIN) project, Tetra Tech and SEGURA support USAID in its efforts to close financing gaps to achieve universal access to water and sanitation services through sustainable and creditworthy business models, increased public funding, and expanded market finance for infrastructure investment.
In support of the USAID Office of Water, this multi-year global vehicle provides both targeted in-country assistance and on-demand support to help ensure beneficiary countries can provide safe and reliable WASH through sustainable and creditworthy business models and increased public and private funding for water infrastructure. WASH-FIN has provided multi-year assistance in eight target countries as well as on-demand support for other WASH financing interventions as directed by USAID.WASH-FIN promotes diverse mechanisms such as blended financing facilities, public-private partnerships (PPPs), local debt financing, and other viable models of finance that can be replicated and scaled.
As part of the core project team, SEGURA provides the full-time services of both the Knowledge Management and Communications Lead and a Technical WASH Specialist. A summary of SEGURA’s country-specific contributions include:
In Nepal, SEGURA supported WASH-FIN’s efforts to stabilize water utility revenues and promote creditworthiness via cost-reflective tariffs, business planning, and improved financial reporting. This included production of a comprehensive cost and tariff analysis, extensive institutional support to the Surkhet Valley Water Supply Users Organization, and contributions to the development of the Government of Nepal’s national fecal sludge management curriculum.
In South Africa, SEGURA provided technical assistance to help national-level public sector stakeholders, local governments, and private sector service providers access all available forms of funding, including improving their own sources, accessing grants, and leveraging repayable finance. Efforts included producing credit ratings and assessments, developing and refining financial models, conducting a study on global best practices and innovations in financing mechanisms, and supporting the rollout of the Integrated Urban Development Framework.
In the Philippines, SEGURA supported the National Government in the operationalization of its Unified Financing Framework (UFF) for Water Supply and Sanitation, which centers on leveraging public resources to obtain commercial credit or private equity for the WASH sector. SEGURA focused on institutionalizing viability gap financing (VGF) as a model for Government grant support for expansion projects that are economically justified but financially unviable.
In the Dominican Republic, SEGURA is helping to conduct a feasibility analysis of a potential blended finance mechanism that could help Dominican water service providers make needed capital investments and other changes to improve service delivery to local communities.
Client:
Tetra Tech | USAID Office of Water
Years:
2016-2021
Location:
Dominican Republic, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Philippines, South Africa
Technical Areas:
Infrastructure & Environment