Improving access to drinking water remains a significant challenge in Côte d’Ivoire, despite heavy investments made over recent years. Disparities between urban and rural areas remain pronounced, even as the country estimates it will need to mobilize $7.5 billion by 2030 to sustainably transform its national water sector.

Côte d’Ivoire has nearly tripled its daily drinking water production over the past thirteen years. According to official data released by the government on Monday, August 31, daily production surged from 350,000 m³ in 2011 to 1,004,944 m³ in 2024, which represents an overall increase of nearly 187%. This sharp rise in production capacity has been driven by massive capital expenditure in hydraulic infrastructure across the national territory. Government figures reveal that 654 billion FCFA ($1.16 billion) has been injected into more than 500 localities since 2011, focusing primarily on boosting treatment capacity and expanding local distribution networks.

The national effort has drawn substantial financial backing from international partners and development finance institutions. In July 2024, the government secured an $825 million agreement with the World Bank for the Water Security and Sanitation Support Project (PASEA), a flagship initiative designed to enhance water services in underprivileged northern regions and directly benefit over 2 million inhabitants. However, total funding directed to the water sector continues to fall short of long-term development targets. According to the Côte d’Ivoire Water Pact 2026–2030, current sector investments—standing at less than 0.5% of GDP—remain significantly below the 1.5% of GDP required to meet growing national demand.

While 77% of Ivorians had access to at least basic water services in 2024, access remains strikingly uneven across geographical zones. Safely managed water services reached 51% of the urban population, whereas only 19% of rural residents benefited from the same level of service. The government aims to achieve universal basic water access by 2030 while raising the proportion of rural residents with safely managed water services to 55%.

Beyond boosting production figures, the core challenge now lies in ensuring reliable, continuous delivery to final consumers, particularly across rural communities where network expansion and infrastructure maintenance are paramount. National technical bodies and operator utilities like SODECI continue to deploy modernized systems to optimize service continuity. To realize its ambitious 2030 targets, Côte d’Ivoire has committed to mobilizing $7.5 billion under its National Water Pact framework, which includes over $1 billion expected from private capital investment