Genesis supports SADC water and infrastructure projects

The Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF) is a DFID-funded facility that prepares water and infrastructure projects across SADC. It focuses on projects that build climate resilience, are pro-poor and are located in one of the SADC region’s 13 transboundary water basins. Under the CRIDF, Genesis was involved in the design and delivery of water infrastructure that fosters sustainable development of the region’s water, food and energy security.

Our work focused on:

Financial and economic appraisal of projects in order to assess a project’s impact, inform decision-making and to ensure financial, operational and social sustainability.

Leveraging and mobilising finance to support CRIDF in high-level engagement with donors and potential financiers to identify potential sources of financing, as well as in preparing projects for presentation and conducting the actual engagements.

Genesis supported the programme across multiple individual water-preparation projects. For example, together with the African Development Bank, we assessed the commercial viability of a hydro-electric plant on the border of Malawi and Tanzania. The project aimed to develop an effective financing strategy and assess the potential for attracting private sector investors through public-private partnerships.

The Genesis project economist led the development of the financial and economic models, assessing the likely returns and benefits from the project and working to structure it in a way that is attractive to the private sector, while retaining important socio-economic development goals of the respective governments.