Niger: Improving Municipal Resilience to Flooding and Access to Basic Services
WASHINGTON – The World Bank today approved financing that will help Niger build resilience to climate shocks in municipalities and develop better urban management. The Niger Integrated Urban Development and Multi-Sectoral Resilience project will address the effects of high flood risk and rapid urban growth through an integrated approach that supports urban development and disaster risk management.
Niger is in an early stage of urbanization with a rapidly growing urban population. Municipalities are highly vulnerable to the increasing risks associated with climate change, such as floods, droughts, and extreme heat events. In 2020, Niger faced one of the largest floods in its history, with more than 32,900 homes destroyed and 3,082 hectares of irrigated crops submerged in water. The human toll was 350,915 victims, including 70 deaths. Women and children are the most vulnerable to extreme weather events.
” The recent floods in Niger in 2020 had a significant impact, and with climate change potentially exacerbating the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, it is essential to invest in preparedness and crisis prevention,” says Pierre Xavier Bonneau, Acting World Bank Country Manager for Niger. ” This project will further strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable and contribute to a sustained recovery in the most affected areas.”
The Niger Integrated Urban Development and Multi-Sectoral Resilience Project, $250 million financed by the International Development Association (IDA), aims to increase flood resilience and improve urban management and access to basic services in twenty-five municipalities in Niger. About 3.4 million people, including refugees, and IDPs will benefit from the project by 2028. More specifically, it will help to: (i) support recovery and reconstruction efforts after the 2020 floods and increase flood resilience in fourteen cities in Niger; (ii) improve access to urban infrastructure and basic services, providing cities with a menu of investment options to address their respective priorities, making them more resilient to floods and extreme heat events and (iii) develop a technical assistance program to build the capacity of municipalities to improve day-to-day urban management.
The project is in line with the World Bank Group Niger Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2018-2022 as well as the Niger Economic and Social Development Plan (PDES) 2017-2021.