Guinea-Bissau, formerly Portuguese Guinea, is a small country on the West African coast, sandwiched between Senegal to the north and Guinea to the south and east. The country gained independence from Portugal in 1974 after a long armed struggle. In 1994, 20 years after independence, the country held its first multiparty legislative and presidential elections.

Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world, a consequence of years of economic mismanagement and conflict. In 1997 Guinea-Bissau became the eighth member of the Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest-Africaine (UEMOA), the West African francophone common market, and adopted the bloc's common - and hard - currency, the CFA franc. Now that stability has returned, the new government is making great efforts to bring the economy back on track.

UNCDF has been providing assistance to Guinea Bissau over the last 20 years. Three infrastructure projects have been successfully completed and currently two more infrastructure projects are being implemented, one in the Region of Gabu and the other one in the urban center of Gabu.

The first UNCDF project in Guinea Bissau was called "Programme d'Hydraulique Villageoise dans la Région de l'Est (Gabú)" - Phase I [GBS/83/C01]. It had the objective of installing 400 boreholes in the Eastern Region of the country. This project was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Natural Resources.

This first project was followed by a specific water infrastructure project in the regions of Oio and Gabu: GBS/90/C01 - Hydraulique Villageoise dans la Région de Oio et de Gabú. And a urban infrastructure and planning project focusing on Bissau (and the seven secondary cities in the country): GBS/90/C02 - Amélioration des Conditions d'Habitat à Bissau et Planification Urbaine. The Water project built 368 boreholes and set up village management committees for most of those. The project also built 214 (family) latrines and 17 community latrines. Moreover, the project also strongly focused on institutional capacity building in the water sector.

Most of the activities of the urban planning and infrastructure project focused on the neighborhood Antula Bono in Bissau. An urban planning exercise was done and the urban infrastructure built including a large urban market place.

Ongoing projects

Building on the previous experiences in Guinea Bissau, the following two projects, with a total value of US$6,387,033, are currently being implemented:

1. GBS/98/C01 - Amelioration des Conditions de Vie - Ville de Gabu
2. GBS/98/C02 - Hydrolique Villageoise dans le Region de Gabu

The projects, which will be completed at the end of 2003, are considered pilot initiatives for possible future decentralization in Guinea Bissau. As such, the Regional Government of Gabu is the key government partner.

The preparation of the infrastructure projects, technical studies and drawing of plans being done by two para-statal consulting firms SERVIAGUA and SERVITAS. Another para-statal company, ENAFUR, will do drilling and construction of the boreholes. A public tendering process will be organized for the additional infrastructure works. International and national private sector companies can partake in the bidding process.

ENAFUR started the borehole drilling in November 2001. The start of the construction of all the other infrastructure works will be in the second half of this year. The following infrastructure works are planned for the urban center of Gabu:

1. Construction of a new market
2. Rehabilitation of the old city market
3. Construction of a laboratory and a storage for medicines for the hospital
4. Construction of three public restroom facilities
5. Purchase of equipment and establishment of a system for garbage collection
6. Rehabilitation of city water system
7. Rehabilitation of 9600 meters of road system (non tarred)
8. Construction of 1300 meters of tarred road
9. Construction of a drainage system for city road system