Washington, USA, February 14, 2024 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/-The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a major initiative to address pressing challenges in the Senegal River Valley (SVV) . Due to growing threats linked to climate change, this vital area for local economies and their inhabitants is increasingly exposed to risks.
© J. Bourgoin, Cirad – The Senegal River valley, located in the northwest of the country, is an area where a large number of agricultural activities are concentrated.
The Senegal River Valley Development and Resilience Project (PDRVFS), financed to the tune of $195 million by the International Development Association (IDA)*, will benefit some 2.9 million residents of this valley in Mauritania and Senegal, particularly women, young people and other stakeholders. The project aims to improve access to infrastructure and services that are inclusive, regionally integrated and resilient to the effects of climate change in the border communities targeted by the project.
Although they contain most of the irrigated land in Mauritania (90%) and Senegal (80%), the communities residing on both sides of the river remain poor and vulnerable. Cities in the region lack basic infrastructure and services and are increasingly faced with problems linked to climate change: rising temperatures, erratic precipitation, droughts, floods, rising sea levels, salinization of soil and water, desertification or even land degradation.
« By investing in community resilience, connectivity and local economic development, this new project will help create quality jobs in the VFS and bring transformative change to this very important border region, ” underlines Chakib Jenane, Director at the World Bank for Sustainable Development in West and Central Africa. « Through collaborative efforts, it will enable stakeholders to overcome the complex challenges of climate change and drive inclusive development for local communities. »
During a regional forum organized in Saint-Louis, Senegal last Januarythe Senegalese Minister of Economy and Budget, Mamadou Moustapha Ba, stressed the need to combat the effects of climate change to enable the region to realize its potential. He declared on this occasion: “ Today our development ambitions for the Senegal River valley can only be achieved by controlling the repercussions of climate change, the effects of which have begun to disrupt the economy around the river. » The new PDRVFS thus plans to tackle these problems through investment in community infrastructure, improving irrigation infrastructure, helping farmers adapt to changes in rainfall patterns, introduction of drought-resilient crops and increased agricultural productivity. The project also aims to protect biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystems. Communities and institutions will benefit from capacity development and knowledge sharing initiatives to help them better understand and address the impacts of climate change.
The PDRVFS illustrates the World Bank’s commitment to supporting regional integration through the development of resilience and sustainable livelihoods for border communities. “ The regional integration approach adopted by the project is essential to help border communities overcome the obstacles that hinder the movement of people, goods and services, capital and ideas,” underlines Boutheina Guermazi, World Bank Director for Regional Integration in Africa and the Middle East. « Strategically, this project integrates infrastructure and services in a cross-border territory to develop social cohesion and inclusion in order to combat climate risks. It also aims to stimulate socio-cultural exchanges, limit economic and social imbalances on both sides of the border, and promote economic prosperity. »
This type of approach corresponds to the expectations of the countries, as recalled Ismail Ould Abdel Vettah, Mauritanian Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation : « The only sustainable solution relies on cross-border management, based on equity and solidarity to save our region from the negative impacts of climate change. »
The new project is part of the global dialogue and measures taken following COP27, reinforcing the urgency of climate adaptation and mitigation measures.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) for the African Development Bank.
* The International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank, created in 1960, helps the poorest countries on the planet by granting them grants and loans at very low or no interest intended for projects and programs likely to stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty and improve the lives of the most deprived. The IDA is among the main donors to the 76 poorest countries on the planet, 39 of which are in Africa. IDA resources help bring positive change to the 1.6 billion people in IDA countries. Since its founding in 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. The annual volume of its commitments has reached around $21 billion on average over the past three years, with around 61% going to Africa.
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Source : African Media Agency (AMA)