The Ivorian ministers met in Council on the 30th of October 2019 in Abidjan. After several hours of consultations, the leaders ratified a series of decrees to support both environmental protection and access to drinking water.
Following a Ministerial Council meeting held on October 30, 2019 in Abidjan, authorities adopted a decree ratifying a $38 million (over CFAF 20 billion) loan agreement with the Investment and Development Bank, an institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This decision was taken following an agreement signed between this financial institution and the government of Ivory Coast in August 2019.
With this partnership agreement, Ivory Coast will finance projects to strengthen the drinking water supply system in the city of Guéyo and several other cities in the country (Serhio, Wanewa, Bretihio, and Beléko.). Similar actions will also be carried out in Abidjan. A mobile mine station with a capacity of 700 cubic metres per hour will be built and a water tower rehabilitated in Guéyo. It has a capacity of 50 cubic meters. The aim of this project is to significantly improve the conditions of access to drinking water in the beneficiary localities.
Decrees in favour of the protection of the Niger Basin
The Ministerial Council also discussed issues related to environmental protection, including the preservation of the Niger Basin. It has ratified two agreements for the financing of the Integrated Programme for Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Niger Basin (Pidacc). With this programme, Ivory Coast will strengthen people’s capacities for climate change resilience and improve production systems in the Niger River Basin, including by preserving the ecosystem through reducing the silting process due to the Niger River. For this project, a €5 million loan agreement was signed on May 7, 2019 between Ivory Coast and the African Development Fund (ADF).
The second decree concerns the procedures for classifying certain forests classified as national parks or reserves for protection. The implementation of this text will contribute to the protection of the forests concerned in Ivory Coast. A gateway way to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.
Luchelle Feukeng
