December 10, 2009 No. 31/09-BD CDB Financing Approved for Belize Water Project Residents of the Belize River Valley can expect to have a reliable water supply system thanks largely to a USD3.480 million loan to the Government of Belize from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for a project to provide potable water to that area. The project will reduce the risks to human life related to water and food borne diseases and provide increased access to a quality water supply. It will alsoassist in the achievement of those Millennium Development Goals and targets related to public access to water. People who live in nine rural villages will benefit from the project, which is included in CDB's Country Strategy for Belize. Residents now rely on water from the nearby Belize River, hand-dug wells, roof catchments and expensive trucked or bottled water for drinking water. The Government of Belize is providing counterpart funding of USD0.403 million, which represents ten percent of the project cost. This will be the third capital project intervention by CDB in the water and waste water sector in Belize.