Life Along the Ubangui: A Cross-Border Project Promises Clean Water, Jobs and Hope

On the banks of the Ubangui River, where the waters form both a lifeline and a border, people have long lived with the contradictions of abundance and scarcity. The river is wide and full, yet in many homes nearby, clean water is scarce. Fishing boats glide across to the Democratic Republic of Congo, but trade and travel are often slowed by poor infrastructure. This could soon change.

On August 5, the Central African Republic and the African Development Bank Group launched an ambitious five-year programme to unlock the Ubangui’s potential. The $121 million Regional Support Programme for the Development of Cross-Border Water Infrastructure and Resources, known by its French acronym, PREDIRE, aims to bring safe drinking water, sanitation, jobs and better navigation to communities on both sides of the river.

For Greater Bangui alone, the plans are sweeping: a new pumping station and treatment plant capable of processing 6,500 cubic metres of water an hour, a 50,000 cubic metre storage facility, more than 200 kilometres of new distribution pipes, and 15,000 social connections to bring water directly into homes.

“It’s about turning the river from a boundary into a bridge,” said Bertrand Arthur Piri, the Minister of Energy and Water Resource Development, during the launch ceremony. “Water is life, and this project is part of our vision for inclusive development, clean water for every household, food security for our people, and protection for our environment.”

Fisherman rowing a boat on the Ubangi River

The scale of the challenge is clear. Over 2.4 million people will benefit directly, most of them women and young people. Nearly seven in ten live in absolute poverty. Many have never had reliable access to treated water, relying instead on rivers, wells or expensive private vendors.

Mamady Souaré, who heads the African Development Bank’s office in the country, said the programme’s design goes beyond infrastructure. “Every dollar is focused on building climate resilience,” he said. “We’re linking water systems to agriculture, to river transport, to economic opportunity. It’s not just pipes and pumps, it’s livelihoods.”

IV ZEAL VITAMIN

The benefits will ripple across the river to the DRC’s Nord-Ubangi, Sud-Ubangi and Mongala provinces, where communities face similar needs. A second phase, now in preparation, will improve river navigation from the Ubangui into the Congo River, help farmers secure irrigation, and protect vulnerable communities from climate shocks.

Jobs are part of the equation too, 3,400 in total, with 1,200 expected to be permanent. Training will equip entrepreneurs, especially women, to build businesses around water supply, sanitation and transport services. A social cohesion programme, in partnership with the UN refugee agency, will reach 25,000 people affected by displacement and conflict.

For residents like Marie, a mother of four in Bangui’s outskirts, the promise of a tap in her yard could be life-changing. “Right now, I walk 40 minutes to fetch water,” she said. “If it comes here, it means my children can wash before school, I can cook without worrying, and maybe I can start selling food again.”

In the long term, officials say the project will strengthen the International Commission of the Congo-Ubangi-Sangha Basin (CICOS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) – institutions tasked with managing the river’s resources fairly and sustainably. More than 1,300 local, regional and national stakeholders will receive training, with half of the places reserved for women.

Minister Piri called the Ubangui “a shared treasure,” and said its future depends on cooperation. “This project is proof that when we work together, we can turn our natural wealth into a better life for our people.”

If the plan succeeds, the river that once divided communities could become the channel that connects them, carrying not only boats and goods, but clean water, opportunity and hope.