The World Bank Group has approved US$225 million in financing for Madagascar to strengthen climate resilience, upgrade urban infrastructure and create thousands of jobs through the Integrated Urban Development and Resilience Project for Jobs (PRODUIRE2).
The initiative will focus on improving living conditions and building climate-resilient cities in Greater Antananarivo and Greater Toamasina, two of the country’s fastest-growing urban centres that continue to face rising climate risks, inadequate infrastructure and increasing urban poverty.
Madagascar has experienced severe climate-related disasters in recent years. In early 2026, cyclones Fytia and Gezani caused damage equivalent to 3.4 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), exposing the vulnerability of urban communities and critical infrastructure. In Greater Antananarivo, where nearly 44 percent of Madagascar’s GDP is generated, extreme urban poverty has more than doubled over the past decade as recurrent flooding, poor infrastructure and insecure land tenure continue to constrain economic opportunities and private investment.
Building on earlier World Bank-supported urban resilience initiatives, PRODUIRE2 will expand investments in flood protection, drainage systems, solid waste management, neighbourhood upgrading and land administration across Greater Antananarivo. In Greater Toamasina, where cyclone Gezani destroyed approximately 70 percent of the housing stock, the project will prioritise the reconstruction of climate-resilient homes and the rehabilitation of essential public infrastructure, including schools and healthcare facilities.
By 2032, the programme aims to provide climate-resilient infrastructure for 1.5 million people, rebuild 20,000 homes to resilient standards, issue land documentation for 50,000 land parcels and create approximately 17,000 jobs, while encouraging greater private sector investment and long-term economic growth.
Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Herinjatovo Ramiarison, Madagascar’s Minister of Economy and Finance, said the investment would improve the quality of life for millions of residents through safer communities, stronger infrastructure and expanded economic opportunities.
“When cities work better, people live better. With the support of this new World Bank Group-financed project, families will benefit from safer neighborhoods, better infrastructure, improved access to land services, and greater economic opportunities. This investment will help create jobs, support local businesses, and give more people the chance to build a brighter future for their families,” he said.
The project will also address one of the country’s longstanding development challenges—land insecurity. Nearly half of the land in Antananarivo lacks formal land titles, limiting investment and orderly urban development. PRODUIRE2 will support land regularisation and the digitisation of land administration services, enabling residents to obtain legally recognised documentation more efficiently. At least 40 percent of all new land documents issued under the project will include women as sole or joint rights holders, promoting greater gender equity in land ownership.
World Bank Group Country Manager for Madagascar, Atou Seck, said the project would help communities recover from recent climate disasters while strengthening resilience against future shocks.
He noted that the programme would support families in rebuilding stronger homes, restore damaged public infrastructure and reconstruct the University of Barikadimy to higher resilience standards after it suffered extensive cyclone damage. Investments in flood protection, drainage infrastructure, including the Canal C3 ter and Canal C3 bis, as well as improved solid waste management and land administration, are also expected to significantly reduce flooding in Greater Antananarivo.
According to Seck, the project is designed to help communities live more safely while expanding economic opportunities and improving long-term wellbeing for families.
PRODUIRE2 represents a continued partnership between the Government of Madagascar and the World Bank Group to promote more resilient, inclusive and economically vibrant cities. The project is supported by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the Quality Infrastructure Investment (QII) Partnership, financed by the Government of Japan, which provide technical and analytical support to strengthen Madagascar’s disaster risk management, urban resilience and infrastructure planning.
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