Economics & Development

This report analyzes the role of social protection as a key development response to the needs of forcibly displaced populations (FDPs) in the Great Lakes Region (GLR) - specifically refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees (both IDPS and refugees) and affected host communities in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda. It explores how national social protection systems in the GLR support displaced groups and host communities, and how development-oriented approaches are a cornerstone in protracted displacement situations. The report assesses the unique challenges faced by refugees, IDPs, returnees, and host communities throughout the displacement cycle, examines how national systems address their vulnerabilities, and considers future adaptations. It also identifies policy and operational opportunities for national governments, development partners, and humanitarian actors to coordinate responses and enable a transition to sustainable, government-owned development systems. The report is structured as follows: section 1 presents introduction. Section 2 outlines the conceptual framework; section 3 examines FDP trends and challenges; section 4 analyzes the role of social protection systems; section 5 presents the main support challenges; and section 6 offers concluding remarks and policy recommendations.

Power Regional Integration Through Market-Enabled Gas for Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo has the development objectives to enable midstream and downstream natural gas investments and to strengthen institutional capacity for national gas markets and regional gas trade in the participating countries. Components are as follows. Component 1, Supporting gas import solutions: Sub-components include feasibility and environmental and social assessment for gas receiving and storage infrastructure in Benin and Togo; establishment of import-facilitating regulatory and safety frameworks; and contractual, legal, and financing due diligence to structure potential guarantee operations for main off-takers, including electricity utilities and liquefied natural gas imports. Component 2, Gas Master Plan and investment preparation for mid and downstream infrastructure: Sub-components include country demand estimation with scenarios and sensitivities; review or preparation of supply options and an integrated least-cost investment plan; national Gas Master Plans incorporating methane leak detection and monitoring; techno-economic feasibility, pre–Front-End Engineering Design and Front-End Engineering Design, climate vulnerability and decarbonization impact assessments, and environmental and social assessments for priority infrastructure such as pipelines, storage, and gas power plants (including the pipeline to the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone and a gas power plant in Benin, the pipeline to Songon in Côte d’Ivoire, and the pipeline from Lomé port to the Adétikopé Industrial Platform with a multiphase gas power plant in Togo); assessment of public-private partnership institutional capacity and preparation of procurement strategies, bidding documents, investor outreach, and security packages; and due diligence to prepare future financing. Component 3, Regulatory and institutional strengthening: Sub-components include elaboration or review of Gas Codes and implementing texts aligned with Nationally Determined Contributions and covering methane, flaring, and venting; complementary legal and regulatory reforms such as network access codes and harmonization with national climate policies; development of economic and financial models for the gas sector, audit of existing gas supply contracts, and setting of transit tariffs and fees; establishment or reinforcement and operationalization of gas regulators and national gas transport companies; capacity building for ministries, producers, distributors, and off-takers on sector planning, midstream and downstream operations, import operations and safety, climate resilience, and risk of carbon lock-in; preparation and support for a methane emission reduction plan in Côte d’Ivoire; enhancement of national environmental and social systems and development of Environment, Health, and Safety standards for gas; and technical workforce training, including a regional gas training center of excellence in Togo. Component 4, Supporting regional integration: Sub-components include an investment to expand the Cotonou Regulating and Metering station in Benin by adding a second processing train to increase West African Gas Pipeline import capacity; development of a cross-border gas trade framework for Benin and Togo; feasibility and environmental and social assessments for West African Gas Pipeline capacity extension; support for strategic positioning in the Africa-Atlantic Gas Pipeline; analysis of regional gas project impacts on Ivorian gas competitiveness; feasibility and environmental and social assessments for regional gas and electricity networks; support for participation in the Economic Community of West African States gas regulation mechanism; and a market study of regional electricity export demand for Côte d’Ivoire. Component 5, Project management: Sub-components include institutional, fiduciary, and environmental and social capacity building for implementing agencies; stakeholder engagement and communication with grievance redress mechanisms and community outreach; and monitoring, evaluation, and preparation for future phases.

This document relates to the IFC Project Number 50258.