World Bank grants $168m to support Burundi’s climate, energy projects

The World Bank Group headquarters building in Washington, DC

The World Bank Group headquarters building in Washington, DC, US.

Photo credit: File | AFP

The Burundian government and the World Bank have signed agreements for three grants totalling $168.3 million to finance a climate resilience project and two energy projects.

The agreements were signed in Bujumbura, the country’s economic capital, by Burundian Finance, Budget and Economic Planning Minister Nestor Ntahontuye and Hawa Cisse Wague, the World Bank representative to Burundi.

They were in the presence of Burundian Hydraulics Energy and Mining Minister Ibrahim Uwizeye and Emmanuel Ndorimana, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, which will implement the projects.

“We’re glad to have signed these three financial agreements. They are indeed in line with the country’s National Development Plan and the vision of an emerging Burundi in 2040 and a developed one in 2060,” said Mr Ntahontuye, the finance minister.

The climate resilience project, which has a budget of $88.3 million, aims to increase the productivity of fragile land in Burundi’s targeted hills. The project will run for six years.

“The other two financial agreements come as additional supports to two existing energy projects that have not been completed,” Mr Ntahontuye said, referring to one that aims to improve energy services for villagers living outside Bujumbura and the other that supports the construction of the Jiji-Murembwe hydropower dams.

The Jiji-Murembwe dams, which are expected to be completed in June 2026, will have a power generation capacity of 49 megawatts.