The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund has approved $134.71 million to support infrastructure development and enhance water resources along the border between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This financing from the African Development Bank Group consists of a grant of $118.27 million for the Central African Republic and a loan of $16.44 million for the DRC. The total estimated project cost is $257 million, with contributions from both Central African countries and other development partners.
The regional project, known as the Project to Support the Development of Infrastructure and Improvement of Cross-border Water Resources between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo (PREDIRE), comprises three main components.
The first component focuses on enhancing knowledge, governance, and infrastructure assets for water resources in the Ubangi basin, which lies along the border of the two countries. The second component aims to develop resilient socioeconomic water infrastructure to promote regional integration. The final objective is to build the capacity of institutions at both the regional level (such as the International Commission for the Congo-Ubangi-Sangha Basin (CICOS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)) and national levels to manage, conserve, and enhance cross-border water resources. Capacity-building efforts will benefit 1,300 stakeholders and create approximately 3,400 jobs.
“The project aims to improve people’s socioeconomic living conditions and resilience and the ecosystem in the Ubangi cross-border basin for the long term, against a background of climate change and increased fragility,” emphasized Serge N’Guessan, the African Development Bank’s Director General for Central Africa.
Over 2.4 million people residing in the target area, 51 percent of whom are women, will benefit directly from the program, which is set to commence in November 2024 and run for five years, concluding in November 2029.
