Ensuring Climate Resilient Water Supplies in the Comoros Islands

The “Ensuring Climate Resilient Water Supplies in the Comoros Islands” project is a national initiative designed to enhance water security and climate resilience across the Comoros archipelago, addressing the growing impacts of climate variability on water availability and service reliability.¹ The project targets improved water supply outcomes for an estimated 450,000 residents by tackling both infrastructure gaps and systemic vulnerabilities affecting water resources management.²
The vision of the project is “to ensure sustainable, reliable, and climate-resilient water supply systems that support social, economic, and environmental well-being”.³ Its objectives include increasing storage capacity, upgrading pipelines, restoring watersheds, and implementing monitoring systems to ensure continuous supply during periods of climate stress.⁴

The project is structured around a set of interlinked technical, environmental, and institutional components designed to strengthen water security and climate resilience across the Comoros Islands.⁵ Its main components include:^{6 7 8}

• Water supply infrastructure upgrades, including the construction and rehabilitation of water storage reservoirs, pumping stations, and transmission and distribution pipelines to reduce losses and improve service reliability.
• Climate resilient water storage, focusing on increasing storage capacity to buffer seasonal variability and prolonged droughts, particularly in water stressed and rapidly growing areas.
• Watershed restoration and protection, involving reforestation, soil conservation, and catchment management measures to safeguard water sources and improve recharge under changing climatic conditions.
• Monitoring and information systems, such as hydrological and climate monitoring tools, data collection platforms, and early warning systems to support evidence based planning and operational decision making.
• Institutional and governance strengthening, including support to water sector institutions for planning, regulation, operation, and maintenance, as well as the integration of climate risk considerations into water management frameworks.
• Community engagement and capacity building, aimed at strengthening local participation, promoting water conservation practices, and transferring technical and managerial knowledge to local authorities and service providers.

Beneficiaries include residents across Ngazidja, Anjouan, and Mohéli islands, agricultural producers, and local industries dependent on reliable water supply. In addition, the project builds adaptive capacity for small island communities facing climate risks such as prolonged droughts and coastal water intrusion.⁹

The project is implemented at the national level with the involvement of key international and national actors responsible for financing, coordination, and on-the-ground delivery. Implementation is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which provides technical oversight and project management, while Green Climate Fund (GCF) financing supports the investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and adaptation measures.^{10 11}At the national level, the project works closely with relevant government ministries and water sector institutions responsible for water supply, planning, and environmental management, as well as local authorities and utilities across Ngazidja, Anjouan, and Mohéli. Community organizations and local stakeholders are engaged to support implementation, promote ownership, and ensure that interventions respond to local needs, while also contributing to long-term operation, maintenance, and adaptive capacity building within the water sector.¹²

Since its inception in 2019, the initiative has strengthened Comoros’ water infrastructure and governance frameworks, serving as a model for climate-resilient development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).¹³