🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna Infrastructure — Roads, Airports, Electricity & Water

The infrastructure in Wallis and Futuna is relatively underdeveloped, with limited access to modern amenities, but the territory has made significant progress in recent years with investments from France to improve its roads, energy, and telecommunications.

Infrastructure Overview

The infrastructure in Wallis and Futuna is still in the development stage, with a significant gap between urban and rural areas. The territory's remote location and limited resources have hindered the development of its infrastructure, but recent investments from France have helped to improve the situation. The French government has provided funding for various infrastructure projects, including the construction of new roads, the upgrade of the airport, and the development of renewable energy sources. Despite these efforts, the territory still faces significant challenges, including a lack of skilled labor and limited access to modern technologies.

The urban area of Mata-Utu has better infrastructure than the rural areas, with access to basic amenities such as electricity, water, and telecommunications. However, the rural areas still lack access to these basic services, and the roads are often in poor condition. The territory's infrastructure is also vulnerable to natural disasters, such as cyclones and tsunamis, which can cause significant damage to the roads, buildings, and other infrastructure.

In recent years, the government of Wallis and Futuna has made efforts to improve the infrastructure, including the construction of new roads and the upgrade of the airport. The territory has also made progress in the development of renewable energy sources, including solar and wind power. However, more needs to be done to address the significant gap between urban and rural areas and to improve the overall quality of the infrastructure.

Transport Infrastructure

Energy & Electricity

• The territory's power generation is primarily based on diesel-powered generators, which are expensive and polluting.
• The electricity grid is reliable, with minimal outages, but the cost of electricity is high due to the reliance on imported diesel fuel.
• The government has made efforts to develop renewable energy sources, including solar and wind power, to reduce the territory's dependence on fossil fuels.
• The territory has a goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy mix to 50% by 2030.
• The French government has provided funding for the development of renewable energy projects, including the construction of solar farms and wind turbines.

Water & Sanitation

• The tap water is safe to drink in most areas, but the water supply is limited, and the territory relies on rainwater harvesting to supplement the supply.
• The sanitation coverage is good, with most households having access to modern sanitation facilities.
• The water access in rural areas is limited, with many households relying on traditional water sources, such as wells and springs.
• The government has made efforts to improve the water supply, including the construction of new water treatment plants and the upgrade of the water distribution network.
• The territory has a goal of increasing access to safe drinking water to 100% of the population by 2025.

Telecommunications

• The mobile coverage is good, with most areas having access to 2G and 3G networks.
• The fiber/broadband coverage is limited, with only a few areas having access to high-speed internet.
• The 4G/5G rollout is ongoing, with the goal of increasing mobile coverage to 100% of the population by 2025.
• The postal services are reliable, with regular mail delivery to most areas.
• The government has made efforts to improve the telecommunications infrastructure, including the construction of new telecom towers and the upgrade of the internet backbone.

Development Projects

• The construction of a new hospital in Mata-Utu, funded by the French government, is ongoing and expected to be completed by 2025.
• The upgrade of the airport, including the construction of a new terminal and the extension of the runway, is planned to start in 2023 and be completed by 2026.
• The development of a renewable energy project, including the construction of solar farms and wind turbines, is ongoing and expected to be completed by 2027.
• The construction of a new water treatment plant in Mata-Utu, funded by the French government, is planned to start in 2024 and be completed by 2028.
• The upgrade of the road network, including the construction of new roads and the upgrade of existing roads, is ongoing and expected to be completed by 2030.