Global Center on Adaptation launches $20.4M project for climate resilience in Mauritania
Project aims to enhance sustainable water resources and adaptation capacity for over 450,000 people in Brakna, Adrar and Tagant
NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (MNTV) — The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have jointly launched a $20.4 million climate resilience project aimed at improving water security for vulnerable rural communities across Mauritania.
Announced under the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), the project—titled Strengthening Mauritania’s Rural Resilience through the Management and Development of Water Resources (RRR-Water)—targets the climate-vulnerable regions of Brakna, Adrar, and Tagant.
It is expected to directly benefit more than 450,000 people, with a focus on women and youth.
Mauritania, which faces worsening water scarcity due to its arid climate and overuse of groundwater, sees only 78% of its population with access to drinking water, with rural areas disproportionately affected.
The RRR-Water initiative is a major step forward in addressing these disparities and building long-term adaptation systems to withstand droughts, floods, and extreme heat.
The GCA is providing technical assistance through climate risk assessments, institutional capacity building, and support for additional climate finance proposals.
These efforts aim to ensure the sustainability of rural water systems and improve governance of scarce resources.
The initiative comes at a time when transboundary pastoral communities in Mauritania, Mali, and Senegal face rising tensions over dwindling access to water and grazing land.
The RRR-Water project includes four key components: expanding access to water for households and livestock, reducing pollution and health risks, enhancing sanitation in public spaces, and strengthening water governance.
GCA CEO Patrick V. Verkooijen said the initiative demonstrates the adaptation can prevent future crises.
“This project is not just about water—it’s about stability, livelihoods, and resilience. By embedding climate risk data and nature-based solutions into water infrastructure, we are future-proofing development for Mauritania’s most vulnerable regions”, he said.
The project also aligns with AfDB’s Strategy to Address Fragility and Build Resilience in Africa (2022–2026) and its Climate Change and Green Growth Framework (2021–2025).
It complements GCA’s ongoing adaptation efforts in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, including partnerships with the World Bank’s DREVE and Horn of Africa Groundwater for Resilience projects.
By addressing key adaptation gaps—such as poor groundwater data, weak institutional capacity, and limited financing—the RRR-Water initiative aims to become a scalable model for rural climate resilience across the Sahel.
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