CAR Inclusive and Resilient Cities Project

Adaptation Need

The Central African Republic (CAR), which is classified as a conflict-affected fragile state, suffers from persistent armed civil conflict, low government effectiveness and high social vulnerability: CAR ranks 191 out of 193 countries in the Human Capital Index, with national poverty rates above 70 percent. Limited institutional oversight and capacity hinder CAR’s capacity to respond to growing climate risk. Altering rainfall patterns, including both increased incidence of drought and intense flooding are likely, according to future climate projections. In August 2021 in Bangui, 4,120 people were affected by torrential rain, including 2,307 children, 48 pregnant women, 172 nursing mothers, and 23 elderly people. A business-as-usual scenario predicts GDP losses of up to 7.8 percent by 2050 due to climate change. Existing infrastructure is  not sufficiently resilient to climate change and has been further weakened by successive conflicts that have led to its destruction. Nature-based solutions are employed informally and at small scale, but not adequate to the growing need for flooding and erosion mitigation in large urban areas of Bangui, Berberati and Birao. 

GCA’s Added Value

GCA’s is promoting nature-based soil and water management (NBSWM) investments that will reduce climate risks in target cities in CAR. Ongoing GCA support identifies home-grown NBSWM practices that are already in use in  CAR, evaluates their ability to address key climate risks, and suggests how these can be adapted and replicated at a larger scale to address twin challenges of flooding and erosion. Appropriate solutions will be compiled into an Inventory of NBSWM practices, which informs future investments by the World Bank and national government.  By building on existing local practices, the Inventory emphasizes context-specific measures with multiple co-benefits, such as income generation and food production, supporting scaling and sustainability in fragile settings with limited institutional capacity, and are therefore more likely to be sustained over time.