Background

The state government of Nuevo Leon has established a poverty reduction program to help poverty-stricken neighborhoods and urban slums access basic public services and improve the quality of life of residents. The Comprehensive Basic Service Coverage Program is coordinated by the Nuevo Leon Department of Social Development and covers 106
substandard subdivisions or “colonias” in the metropolitan area of Monterrey.

Conditions in these colonias were recently worsened by the effects of Hurricane Alex, which hit Nuevo León in June 2010 and produced the highest levels of precipitation in the recorded history of the state. The works funded under this program will help these poor neighborhoods recover more rapidly from the extensive flood damage caused by hurricane Alex.

The program provides subsidies to build basic municipal infrastructure. Under the program, comprehensive basic infrastructure includes water supply and wastewater services, storm drainage, street paving, public lighting and electricity. The State requested assistance from NADB to leverage this program through a loan to fund infrastructure related to street paving, storm drainage, and water and wastewater services.

Description

The certified project consists of providing water and wastewater connections to households currently without service, as well as paving infrastructure. The main components of the certified project are:

• Water supply: 2,473 household connections.
• Wastewater services: 2,843 hookups.
• Paving of dirt streets: 575,611 m2 (6.2 million ft2).

The Project also includes the construction of water mains, wastewater collectors, and storm drainage.

Benefits

Implementation of these works will help to reduce water, soil and air pollution that is currently affecting the health and the quality of life of local residents. Specifically, street paving will reduce volatile dust emissions generated by vehicular traffic traveling on unpaved surfaces and disturbed by frequent gusting winds, thus improving air quality and
respiratory conditions in the surrounding area. In addition, first-time water service will be provided to 2,473 households, and first-time wastewater services to 2,843 households, preventing the discharge of an estimated 590,000 gallons a day of raw sewage into the environment.