GCF: Environmental and Social Safeguards

The Climate Resilient water, sanitation and hygiene, and Disaster Management services for vulnerable children in the Central African Republic (CRDM-CAR) programme aims to strengthen climate resilience through a combined programmatic and infrastructure‑focused scope of work, implemented jointly with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Energy Development and Hydraulic Resources, in coordination with all other relevant line ministries. The project will deliver 200 climate‑resilient solar‑powered water systems and climate‑resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services in 100 schools and 100 health facilities in the prefectures of Ouham, Bamingui‑Bangoran and Vakaga, alongside the establishment of a multi‑hazard climate information and Early Warning System covering these same prefectures to strengthen preparedness and anticipatory action. In Bangui, the project focuses specifically on the rehabilitation and expansion of urban drainage systems to reduce flood risks and associated health impacts, without including rural water, sanitation and hygiene or early warning system interventions.

In parallel, the project strengthens national and sub‑national institutional capacity by integrating climate adaptation into water, sanitation and hygiene, water resources management and disaster risk reduction policies, standards, data systems and coordination mechanisms. The overall goal is to shift the Central African Republic’s water, sanitation and hygiene sector from recurrent emergency response to a planned, climate‑informed and sustainable service model that protects children and vulnerable populations from floods, droughts and climate‑related disease risks. The expected impact is a structural increase in climate resilience, with hundreds of thousands of people directly benefiting from reliable water, sanitation, flood protection and early warnings, and millions indirectly benefiting from strengthened governance and systems, leading to reduced disaster losses, improved public health and long‑term national capacity to manage climate shocks.

To ensure comprehensive and transparent access to information on the Environmental and Social Safeguards package related to the project, all relevant materials have been disclosed through multiple channels and formats. The full Environmental and Social Safeguards package is publicly available online as complete PDF documents in English (see below) and French, complemented by summary versions in PDF in English, French, Sango, Fulfulde and Arabic, as well as audio summaries in French, Sango, Fulfulde and Arabic (see below) to ensure accessibility for non‑literate audiences. 

In addition to online disclosure, all environmental and social safeguarding materials are physically available to the public at the municipalities of Bangui, Ndélé, Birao and Vakaga, as well as at UNICEF offices in Bangui, Bossangoa and Birao, ensuring that project‑affected communities and stakeholders can access information locally throughout the project lifecycle.

Document archive (English versions official, translations for public disclosure only):

Programme safeguarding summaries - English, French, Arabic, Sango, Fulfulde

Full length package of environmental and social safeguarding programme policies:

• English

  • Annex 06: Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF)

    The Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) is the project’s overarching safeguards instrument, setting out how environmental and social risks will be identified, avoided, mitigated and monitored across all CRDM-CAR activities.

  • Annex 06a: Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP)

    The Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) sets out how the project will respect and protect the rights of the M’bororo Fulani pastoralist community, recognised as an indigenous people in the Central African Republic.

  • Annex 07: Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP)

    The Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) defines how all stakeholders, national ministries, local authorities, rural communities, women’s groups, youth, indigenous peoples, internally displaced people and persons with disabilities; will actively shape the design, implementation and monitoring of CRDM-CAR.