Fostering community resilience: A lifeline for the Central African Republic: World Bank Blog By Laurent Corroyer
Bangui, Central African Republic (PANA) - When devastating floods swept through the Central Africa Republic (CAR) in August 2024, thousands of families lost their homes overnight.
For a country already grappling with conflict and poverty, disasters triggered by natural hazards are amplifying these challenges, leaving vulnerable communities at even greater risk. With urbanisation estimated to grow from 41% now to 60% by 2050, the urgency to protect CAR’s cities from disasters like flooding and erosion has never been clearer.
That’s where the $70 million CAR Inclusive and Resilient Cities Project (PROVIR) comes in. Funded by the World Bank and supported by key global partners such as the Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the City Climate Finance Gap Fund (the Gap Fund), and the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative, PROVIR aims to transform urban resilience in the country, starting with its two most vulnerable cities: the capital Bangui and Berberati.
Building resilient cities
PROVIR will benefit around 1.6 million people by building critical resilient infrastructure designed to withstand shocks. This includes flood protection through improved drainage systems, erosion control with slope stabilization in high-risk areas, and nature-based solutions (NBS) like tree planting and retention basins to reduce flood risks while supporting the local economy.
What sets PROVIR apart is its integrated approach to water and soil management in addressing flood and erosion risks in urban areas, two factors that are typically handled separately, and a relatively new practice in the region, especially in cities.
For example, a major challenge in CAR is gully erosion, where unchecked water runoff carves deep trenches into the land, destroying homes and infrastructure. With support from GFDRR and the Gap Fund, PROVIR is using advanced flood and erosion risk modelling to develop targeted solutions, prioritizing NBS when feasible.
Instead of relying only on traditional infrastructure, PROVIR incorporates green alternatives. For instance, drains and retaining structures can be constructed using plants and tree trunks that grow stronger over time, making them more effective. A good example is Krainer walls retaining structures made with living trees and plants.
As vegetation matures, the walls become even more stable and resilient. These approaches not only provide effective environmental protection but also foster socioeconomic benefits by using local materials and labour, making them cost-effective, easily replicable, and easier to maintain. This is particularly valuable in fragile, conflict, and violence (FCV) affected environments like CAR, where importing materials and labour or attracting firms for civil works can be challenging.
Supporting the most vulnerable
At its core, PROVIR is about people. The project prioritizes CAR’s most at-risk populations, including women, youth, and the thousands of internally displaced persons who fled the 2013-2015 conflict and now live in urban areas.
These communities are disproportionately affected by disasters triggered by natural hazards, often living in unsafe areas with limited access to protective infrastructure and social services. Women in particular face unique challenges, such as difficulty in securing quality housing and services, making them more susceptible to disaster impacts.
Through targeted investments, PROVIR is not just building resilient infrastructure but also creating opportunities for economic empowerment. For example, local groups are being trained to establish horticulture areas in flood-prone neighborhoods, offering both environmental protection and livelihoods.
A model for fragile countries
PROVIR is not just a project for CAR, it is a model for how fragile countries can address the complexities of changing environment while promoting urban resilience. With support from GFDRR, the project was built on cutting-edge analytical groundwork, including Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology, drones, and flood risk modeling. These tools enabled CAR to develop precise terrain models, assess slope stability, and design targeted interventions with unprecedented accuracy.
GFDRR has also conducted a Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Opportunity Scan, identifying suitable investments in NBS that were integrated in the government’s investment plan under PROVIR. Evidence has shown that NBS not only reduce disaster risks; they also potentially ease FCV conditions by fostering social and economic benefits.
The integration of NBS into urban design and the focus on both water and soil management represents a much-needed innovation in disaster risk management strategies across the region. Countries like CAR and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are pioneering an approach that has the potential to influence strategies in other countries in the Central Africa region.
By combining advanced technology with sustainable solutions, CAR is showing how even the most vulnerable contexts can tackle climate and disaster risks while strengthening resilience and inclusion.
-0- PANA AR/MA 26March2025
