THE Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional financing unit of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), has approved a $9.38m grant to the government to strengthen climate resilience in the Mkondoa catchment zone.

An AfDB statement issued at midweek said that the project is a critical water resource increasingly vulnerable to floods and droughts linked to climate change, meriting work for enhancing climate resilience on water resources where the catchment is a pivotal component.

The grant was approved on Tuesday and will be financed through the ADF’s climate action window, it said, noting that it is designed to protect vulnerable communities and essential infrastructure from recurrent climate shocks while improving water security and sustaining livelihoods.

The project is relevant to parts of central and eastern Tanzania, as the Mkondoa catchment spans parts of Gairo, Kilosa and Mvomero districts in Morogoro region, servinmg as an important source of water for agriculture, household use and industry, it stated.

The fund estimates that the initiative will directly benefit approximately 774,000 people living in these districts, with key interventions under the project cited as strengthening rain and weather monitoring and early warning systems to provide timely alerts for floods and droughts.

The project features the construction of climate-resilient infrastructure such as dikes and check dams designed to reduce flood risks and protect farmlands and settlements, it said, underlining that around 1,200 hectares of degraded watersheds will be restored to improve water retention, enhance ecosystem health and support sustainable agriculture.

The implementation of the project is expected to generate significant employment opportunities, with 3,500 temporary jobs during the construction phase and around 1,000 long-term positions to follow, it stated. 

Emphasis will be placed on employing young people, women in particular, contributing to local economic empowerment and inclusive growth, it further noted, pointing at the project’s anticipated outcomes like a reduction in adverse impacts of floods and droughts.

Improved availability and reliability of water for households and agricultural activities along with strengthened institutional capacity for climate adaptation and integrated water resource management are also cited.

This intervention is aligned with broader regional strategies to enhance climate resilience in Africa, supporting the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and promoting resilient infrastructure, ecosystem restoration in tandem with community-based adaptation measures, it specified.

By investing in climate-smart infrastructure and natural resource management, the Mkondoa project represents a proactive approach to tackling the growing threats of climate change while ensuring sustainable development.