BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - In July, the residents of Belize River Valley gained access to a reliable supply of safe, drinking water. The Belize River Valley Rural Water Project has been completed, and residents across nine communities now have water connections at home. This change came after the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), together with the Government of Belize, financed the project, which commenced in 2009. It was designed to provide a high-quality, sustainable supply system that would deliver potable water to the people of Belize River Valley. Now the Bank is funding an assessment to gather information from the project that could impact the design and implementation of similar rural water supply projects it funds in its Borrowing Member Countries. “This assessment will give us insights on how the Belize River Valley Rural Water Project impacted the lives of the beneficiaries. Their stories and experiences will help us enhance the quality and effectiveness of similar water supply projects we fund as part of our mandate to assist our Borrowing Member Countries in achieving their sustainable development goals," said Andrew Dupigny, Director of Projects (acting), CDB. The assessment aims to determine if beneficiaries find the Belize River Valley Rural Water Project relevant to their needs, and to understand how women benefited from the intervention, compared to men. The Belize River Valley Rural Water Project was expected to improve living conditions and the overall socio-economic well-being for the population, and safeguard against health risks related to poor-quality water. Project works included the supply and installation of approximately 70 kilometres of pipeline and Construction of reservoirs and pumping stations at Lemonal, Rancho Delores and Scotland Halfmoon. CDB has committed funding from its Special Funds Resources to engage consultants to carry out the assessment. It is scheduled for completion over a four-month period. Early indications suggest that the Belize River Valley Rural Water Project is likely to contribute to the development effectiveness of Belize, and that project experiences will be useful in shaping future rural water supply projects. CDB has invested more than USD160 million in the Caribbean Water Sector. Read more about the Belize River Valley Rural Water Project Read more about CDB' work in the Caribbean Water Sector