WASHINGTON, October 30, 2025 - The World Bank has approved $60 million for the Strengthening Urban Resilience Project to reduce erosion and flood risks and improve access to climate-resilient and sustainable infrastructure and services in selected areas in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, the Republic of Congo's two main cities.
The project adopts a multi-sectoral approach, channeling investments into climate risk reduction, urban infrastructure, and public facilities to enhance both climate resilience and livability in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. It also aims to strengthen national and local institutions by enhancing their capacities for resilient urban planning and management.
"The Republic of Congo stands out as one of Africa's most urbanized countries, with 70% its population residing in urban areas. Remarkably, over half of the nation's people live in just two cities: Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire," said Cheick F. Kante, Division Director for the Republic of Congo. "The country also ranks among the most vulnerable and least ready countries to adapt to climate change. Hence the importance of this project in supporting the Republic of Congo in its efforts to improve climate resilience in urban areas."
The project will directly benefit approximately 575,000 residents, including 350,000 in Brazzaville and 225,000 in Pointe-Noire. It will specifically create over 450,000 person-days of temporary employment. These efforts align with the government's National Development Plan 2022-2026 by advancing urban infrastructure and resilience to climate change while stimulating job creation and local development.
"Due to significant infrastructure deficiencies in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, increasing erosion and flood risks are threatening large segments of the population and resulting in foregone economic growth every year," explained Alexandra Celestin, Country Manager for the Republic of Congo. "This project will address these gaps, helping to reduce climate risks, expand access to infrastructure and services, foster socio-economic development, improve living conditions and support job creation."
The project is a part of the World Bank's long-term engagement in improving urban development in the Republic of Congo and takes an integrated approach. The first component of the project will focus on investing in erosion and flood risk reduction and climate-resilient, sustainable infrastructure and services in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The second component will complement the first by supporting urban and disaster risk management policies, strengthening concerned national and local institutions and enhancing their capacities for sustainable and resilient urban planning and management.
The project preparation benefitted from technical assistance from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, the Quality Infrastructure Investment (QII) Partnership and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA).
