According to the Bank’s website, the Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve transport conditions, road safety, and market access for communities on priority sections of the Douala-Bangui corridor.

The Douala-Bangui Corridor is a critical economic and humanitarian lifeline for Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR), supporting regional trade, food security, and connectivity for millions, including vulnerable populations. However, the corridor faces severe challenges: deteriorated infrastructure, high transport costs, weak maintenance systems, institutional fragmentation, High accident and fatality rates, and vulnerability to climate and security shocks. To address these issues, the World Bank proposes a Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) focused on improving improve transport efficiency, road safety, and maintenance on the Douala-Bangui corridor and support inclusive economic development along the corridor.

The program aims to improve the efficiency and reliability of transport along the Douala-Bangui corridor. The first phase targets the rehabilitation of selected sections of the corridor in Cameroon and in Central African Republic to climate-resilient standards, improve road safety, and the establishment of axle-load control stations. It also pilots a sustainable maintenance system, strengthens asset management, and seeks to diversify financing sources, including private sector participation. It will also stimulate local economic growth by strengthening value chains through the rehabilitation of feeder roads, the development of logistics hubs and special economic zones, and targeted support to communities living along the corridor. Institutional support will focus on upgrading logistics, and building capacity for effective corridor management.

The Environmental Risk Classification for the Douala–Bangui Economic Corridor Project (MPA Phase 1) is assessed as High. the corridor-wide cumulative impacts, high biodiversity sensitivity, fragile and conflict-affected (FCV) context, and institutional capacity constraints elevate the project above Substantial risk, reinforcing the High classification. The project finances extensive rehabilitation and upgrading of primary road sections, feeder roads, axle-load and toll infrastructure, logistics platforms, and related construction activities across a long regional corridor in Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR). Although works largely follow existing alignments, activities will involve earthworks, widening, drainage improvements, structures, and construction camps, generating significant potential for adverse environmental impacts over a large spatial footprint. The corridor-wide nature of interventions increases exposure to cumulative and indirect impacts that are more complex to assess and manage than site-specific works. The project area spans ecologically diverse environments, including coastal zones, humid tropical forests of the Congo Basin fringe, savannah landscapes, and riverine systems. Several sections— particularly in eastern Cameroon and parts of CAR—are located in or near high-biodiversity forest landscapes that provide important ecosystem services and support forestry-based livelihoods. While the project does not finance works inside protected areas, risks of habitat disturbance, fragmentation, wildlife disturbance, and road-led deforestation are material due to improved access and induced development pressures following rehabilitation. A critical risk factor reinforcing the High classification is the project's dependency on contractor capacity. Civil works will be executed in two conflict-affected countries, both characterized by low contractor capacity and limited enforcement of environmental standards. The ability to effectively implement mitigation measures and ensure compliance is materially constrained by the operational and security context, making contractor performance and oversight a central determinant of environmental outcomes. Construction-phase risks extend beyond environmental impacts to community health and safety. Corridor users and nearby communities face heightened exposure to hazards associated with construction traffic, including increased risk of accidents and injuries, as well as dust and noise pollution. These risks are particularly acute given the dispersed nature of work sites and proximity to settlements, underscoring the need for robust safety management and communication strategies. Risks of forest fragmentation, habitat disturbance, and induced deforestation could result in permanent and potentially irreversible environmental impacts if mitigation measures are inadequate or fail. Such impacts—especially in high-biodiversity areas—may be difficult or impossible to remediate, posing long-term consequences for ecosystem integrity and local livelihoods.

The project finances extensive road rehabilitation and upgrading, feeder roads, axle load and toll facilities, logistics platforms, and community infrastructure across a long regional corridor in Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR). While many interventions follow existing alignments, several activities will require land acquisition, road widening, safety improvements, and new facilities, resulting in physical and economic displacement. The scale of works, combined with multiple jurisdictions and corridor wide impacts, increases the complexity of resettlement planning and implementation - These factors are relevant under ESS5. Implementation takes place in a fragile and insecure environment, particularly in CAR and parts of eastern and north western Cameroon. Insecurity, presence of armed actors, checkpoints, and military escorts heighten risks related to community health and safety, labor management, stakeholder engagement, and grievance redress. Security constraints also limit access for supervision and consultation, increasing residual social risks despite planned mitigation. Civil works will involve sizable contractor and subcontractor workforces, with potential labor influx into rural and remote communities. This creates elevated risks under ESS2, including occupational health and safety (OHS), working conditions, labor relations, and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH). SEA/SH risks are particularly pronounced due to poverty, gender inequalities, power asymmetries, and weak service availability in parts of the corridor, especially in FCV areas. Communities along the corridor face increased exposure to construction related hazards, traffic accidents, and transport of hazardous materials, during both construction and operation. These risks are amplified by limited road safety culture, informal settlement patterns near roads, and constrained emergency response capacity, triggering significant concerns under ESS4 (Community Health and Safety). The project area includes Indigenous Peoples/Sub Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities, as well as women, youth, refugees, and other vulnerable groups. Without targeted measures, there is a risk of social exclusion, loss of access to land and natural resources, inequitable benefit sharing, and inadequate participation in corridor induced development.

Total Project Cost: US$ 525.00 million
IDA Credit: US$ 18.00 million
IDA Grant: US$ 100.00 million
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development: US$ 407.00 million

CONTACT POINT - World Bank

Task Team Leader: Francis Eric Ovanda Mbele
Title: Senior Transport Specialist
Email: fovandambele@worldbank.org

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