The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved $8.7 million in funding to support a regional climate resilience program in the Oubangui River Basin, shared between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The cross-border project, endorsed by the GEF Council on 2 June, aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in addressing the increasing challenges of floods, droughts, and hydrological disruptions.
It is part of an integrated water resources management approach that is critical to the region’s ecological and economic security.
The program will be implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), in partnership with the International Commission of the Congo-Ubangi-Sangha Basin (CICOS) and the relevant ministries of both countries. It includes the establishment of a joint hydrological observatory, ecological restoration initiatives, and nature-based solutions such as agroforestry and riverbank rehabilitation.
“This initiative will unify efforts toward the sustainable management of the Oubangui River, which is vital to the livelihoods of over 25 million people,” said IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar.
The project also promotes social inclusion and women’s leadership, complementing the AfDB’s existing PREDIRE program by adding environmental and participatory dimensions to cross-border cooperation.
With an additional $67 million in co-financing secured, the initiative represents a significant step forward in protecting the Congo Basin—the world’s second-largest river basin.
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