OPEC Fund Annual Report 2024

03 | THE DELIVERY – WATER

WATER

Managing the flow of water is critical for sustainable development: Too much or too little can be damaging — or even catastrophic — in equal measure. In 2024, the OPEC Fund provided US$30 million to the water and sanitation sector in partner countries worldwide. Building water resilience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

When it comes to climate change, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world — ranked in the bottom five, according to the Global Adaptation Initia- tive at the University of Notre Dame, USA. The neighboring Central African Republic (CAR) fares even worse, coming in penultimate place and scoring particularly badly on access to drinking water. The Ubangi River on the border between the DRC and CAR is the main tributary of the mighty Congo River, which is the third largest (and deepest) waterway in the world. Yet in recent years, the Ubangi has suffered extreme fluctuations as a result of soaring tempera- tures and receding vegetation. See-sawing floods and droughts have hit local populations hard, as they depend on the river’s water for everything from drinking and hygiene to agriculture and transport. To adapt to climate change, while improving the resilience and preparedness of local populations, the two countries have launched the Regional Project for the Development of Infrastructure and Valorization of Cross-Border Water Resources (PREDIRE). Co-fi- nanced by the OPEC Fund to the tune of US$30 million, the project also counts on contributions from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the two national governments. Focusing on the DRC, the OPEC Fund is improving access to drinking water via the construction of solar-powered potable water supply systems, as well as the renovation and expansion of water treatment and distribution facilities spanning 200 km. The project is respon- sible for upgrading water management and conducting feasibility studies for further infrastructure development. It is also promoting water supply planning for agricultural and socio-economic activities to help make local populations more resilient to climate change.

MALAK DRAZ Country Manager, OPEC Fund

“Visiting the Ubangi River basin and witnessing first-hand the dire need for clean water in the DRC’s most remote provinces, one can immediately realize how strong a developmental impact we are having on its population. The PREDIRE project is expected to increase the share of the population with access to improved potable water sources from the current level of 8 percent to 75 percent. Our financing aims to more than double the water treatment capacity from 7000 m 3 / day to 15,000 m 3 /day, while installing solar-powered water supply systems to improve the sustainability of the network. This will positively impact around 80,000 people in the areas covered by our funded activities.”