Economic Community of Central African States receives $2million from AfDB
The African Development Bank (AfDB), through the African Water Facility (AWF) and the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Financing Facility (IPPF-NEPAD), two multi-donor special funds that it hosts and administers, approved the disbursement of 2,098,593 euros for the benefit of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
The money will allow the effective deployment of the project to support the creation of a body of transboundary basins (Ogoué, Ntem, Nyanga, and Komo) and preparation of investment projects(PACOBT-PPI), which aims to accompany Cameroon, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to establish a formal framework for sustainable management of shared water resources, monitoring of water resources and conduct two investment studies on the Booué and Tsengué-Lélédi hydroelectric dams, as well as related high-voltage transmission lines.
The total cost of the project is EUR 2 237 193, of which the AWF is responsible for EUR 1 101 198 (49%), EUR 997 395 by the IPPF-NEPAD (45%); ECCAS and its four member states are funding the remaining 138,600 euros (6%).
Ultimately, this project, involving four Central African states, will help strengthen sub-regional integration, enhance shared water resources and increase energy availability in the region.
The project, which covers four countries, will benefit in particular the populations living near the basins, of the order of 25 313 926 inhabitants (figures of July 2011) - of which 51% of women - which will thus benefit from a fair management effective and sustainable water resources.
The project also has impact in terms of energy security, food self-sufficiency, increased income for the population, marginalized and minority communities in the area, as well as strengthening peace and security in the four ECCAS Member States.
The objectives of the project are in line with the AfDB's ten-year strategy, particularly with three of its Five Key Priorities, which are “Enlighten and Electrify Africa ", " Integrate Africa " and " Improve Quality of Life". Africans “.
