Togo has signed a CFA 15.3 billion (about US$27.7 million) financing agreement with the West African Development Bank West African Development Bank (BOAD) to strengthen the country’s resilience against climate and disaster risks, officials said Tuesday in Lomé.
The agreement, signed between Togolese Finance and Budget Minister Georges Barcola and BOAD Vice President Abdoulaye Daffé, will fund the Project to Strengthen the Resilience of Vulnerable Communities in High Climate and Disaster Risk Zones, known as SAPO 48.
The initiative is supported by the Green Climate Fund, which approved the project in February 2025, with BOAD acting as a regional implementing partner. It marks the first standalone Togolese project to receive direct Green Climate Fund financing.
Authorities say the programme is designed to shift the country’s approach from reacting to climate shocks to anticipating and preventing them.
According to officials, the project is expected to benefit nearly nine million people across the country, including about 1.3 million direct beneficiaries living in areas most exposed to floods, droughts and other climate-related disasters.
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Key components include strengthening climate information and forecasting services, deploying a multi-hazard early warning system, and establishing forecast-based emergency financing mechanisms to allow faster responses before disasters escalate.
Civil Security and Protection Minister Calixte Madjoulba said the initiative would improve national preparedness and reduce loss of life and property.
“Anticipating means saving lives, preserving livelihoods and protecting public investments,” he said at the signing ceremony.
Finance and Budget Minister Barcola said the project also carried significant fiscal implications, arguing that preventive investment would help reduce the long-term cost of repeated disaster recovery.
“Investing in resilience also means protecting public finances and avoiding much higher costs for communities,” he said.
West African Development Bank Vice President Abdoulaye Daffé highlighted the role of regional cooperation in scaling up climate adaptation financing across West Africa, noting that vulnerable countries require stronger early warning systems and improved access to rapid-response funding.
Togo, a low-lying coastal West African nation, has in recent years faced increased exposure to flooding, coastal erosion and erratic rainfall patterns, which have affected agriculture, infrastructure and rural livelihoods.
The government has been working with international partners to expand climate adaptation measures and integrate disaster risk management into national planning frameworks.
Officials also announced that Togo is preparing a second initiative, the Post-Climate Disaster Reconstruction and Community Support Project (PRECO-Togo), which is expected to receive additional financing from the Green Climate Fund through BOAD.
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The SAPO 48 project is seen by authorities as part of a broader effort to build long-term climate resilience while limiting the economic burden of repeated disaster recovery.
By investing in early warning systems and predictive financing tools, the government aims to reduce emergency response delays and improve coordination between national agencies and local communities during climate-related crises.
Climate experts say West African countries remain among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change despite contributing minimally to global emissions, underscoring the importance of external financing mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund.
For Togo, officials say the challenge now lies in effective implementation and ensuring that resilience-building measures reach communities most at risk.
The project is expected to roll out in phases over the coming years, with monitoring mechanisms designed to track both financial efficiency and social impact across targeted regions.
