WASHINGTON, December 13, 2013 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved US$55.15 million to rehabilitate nationally important roads and bridges in Mozambique’s Gaza province to restore access to markets, health clinics and other services for the people whose lives have been disrupted following the flooding in January, and to support new infrastructure to ensure that rural roads are climate resilient.
“The Government of Mozambique has made important progress incorporating climate change adaptation into its development plans, and made climate resilient road standards a priority in the National Climate Change Strategy,” said Laurence C. Clarke World Bank Country Director for Mozambique. “Today’s funds support a ‘build back better’ approach that could have a transformative impact on the country’s road network and help reduce the disruption experienced by so many families that occurs in the aftermath of a natural disaster.”
Today’s financing includes US$39.4 million from the International Development Association (IDA)* Crisis Response Window (CRW) fund, in addition to a US$9.25 million grant and a US$6.50 million loan from the Strategic Climate Fund. The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development will contribute US$15.0 million through Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) trust fund, and the Mozambique Government will contribute US$40.0 million.
The funds provide additional financing to Mozambique’s Roads & Bridges Management and Maintenance Project Phase 2 (RBMMP2), designed to improve the conditions of roads and bridges; strengthen the country’s capacity to manage and administer the road sector, and establish financing mechanisms for road maintenance transport safety. The project also supports Mozambique’s road sector program, the Integrated Road Sector Program 2012-15, (Programa Integrado do Sector de Estradas, or PRISE).
The additional financing approved today will support small emergency works or spot interventions throughout the Gaza province, as well as a series of more complex and intensive road works to help reduce future flood damage in the area. About 1,000 kilometers of paved and unpaved roads and 30 main bridges will be restored and/or rehabilitated.
The funds will also support a Pilot Program for Climate Resilient Rural Road infrastructure, which will support the development of national technical design standards to build paved and unpaved roads that will be more resilient severe floods and other climate-related hazards. The Pilot will include support for new road rehabilitation and maintenance approaches, such as capacity-building programs for local contractors, to enable quicker, more responsive road repairs following a disaster.
“January’s floods ravaged nearly 89,000 hectares of cultivated land in one of the most productive agricultural areas of the country, affecting livelihoods and food security for more than 48,000 smallholder farmers and their families who are reliant on agriculture for food and income,” said Kulwinder S. Rao World Bank Task Team Leader for this project. “I look forward to effective implementation of this project and the delivery of positive development outcomes such as rehabilitated roads, and new, climate-resilient transport routes to schools, health clinics, markets and other services.”
* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing loans (called “credits”) and grants for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 81 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change for 2.5 billion people living on less than $2 a day. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 108 countries. Annual commitments have increased steadily and averaged about $15 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent of commitments going to Africa.
