GCA to Collaborate with the Government of Burundi and the African Development Bank to tackle Climate Risks through Resilient Water Services
R
otterdam, the Netherlands, 30 October 2023 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) announced today that it is working in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Burundi to support the country in implementing Phase 1 of the Water Sector and Climate Resilience Building Support Programme (PASEREC). The program, scheduled to launch in January 2024, demonstrates the close collaboration between AfDB and GCA to respond to the rising impacts of climate change in Burundi through a more climate-resilient water sector. It will be the first intervention in the country’s water section by the AfDB since 2012.
Over the past five decades, Burundi has experienced alternating cycles of excess and deficit rainfall, and an overall increase in average temperature, with a longer dry season adversely affecting both food security and water availability.
AfDB’s approved $13.15 million in funding to PASEREC aims at strengthening the country’s climate resilience to improve the socio-economic well-being of residents in 15 municipalities in target seven key provinces as well as the capital, Gitega. Fifty percent of the 1.3 million program recipients are women.
The investment is expected to build 18 of the latest-generation water supply systems powered by sustainable energy sources, such as solar power; subsidize 4,500 individual connections; construct over 750 latrines and handwashing facilities and raise the awareness of the importance of sanitation to over 315,000 inhabitants.
To ensure these investments are climate-proof GCA will support:
- A comprehensive climate risk assessment to identify climate hotspots and understand associated risks.
- Identify adaptation needs and opportunities to design a suite of appropriate adaptation measures to increase resilience of the target catchments and water service assets to be implemented under the PASEREC project.
The climate risk assessments will also support the mobilization of additional funding for the PASEREC project through AfDB’s Climate Action Window which is expected to become the optimal platform to channel resources to support climate action in Africa’s most vulnerable countries. It enjoys a comparative advantage due to its scale and aims to raise at least $4 billion through 2025.
GCA is providing support to PASEREC through the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), a joint initiative of the African Development Bank and GCA mobilizing $25 billion, over five years, to accelerate and scale climate adaptation action.
Commenting on the approved project, Ibrahim Uwizeye, the Burundian Minister of Water, Energy and Mines noted, “This project will not only tackle the challenges faced by the people and our sectoral institutions, it also has the potential to stimulate more investments and commitments in the water sector by other partners.”
Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation said: “Local communities in Burundi are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change impacts due to their direct reliance on water and natural resources for their food and livelihoods, poor access to clean water and sanitation, and exposure to extreme weather events. Large-scale investments such as the PASEREC program are vital to ensure such populations are given the means to adapt and become climate resilient to secure their livelihoods and enable them to prosper.”
The Government of Burundi has been ramping up its efforts to increase access to safe drinking water to 100% of the population by 2025. The PASEREC project’s actions will contribute towards achieving this target as well as facilitate watershed conservation and water sector reforms to enhance climate change adaptation in the country.
