UNCDF in Guinea-Bissau

Blue Peace Financing Initiative: Driving sustainable development through water and regional cooperation

UNCDF advances sustainable development and regional integration in Guinea-Bissau through the Blue Peace Financing Initiative. Launched in 2019, the programme positions water as a strategic entry point for peacebuilding and economic growth. In partnership with the Organisation for the Development of the Gambia River Basin and with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, UNCDF mobilizes blended finance to unlock high-impact investments in water, energy, and climate-resilient infrastructure.

By strengthening institutional and regulatory frameworks, enhancing regional cooperation, and developing investment pipelines, the initiative improves access to finance at scale. It crowds in public and private capital to expand sustainable water supply, energy, and irrigation services, while reinforcing regional stability and long-term economic resilience.

Building peace through inclusive water management in the Koliba–Corubal Basin

From 2024 to 2026, UNCDF works with UN-Habitat and the Food and Agriculture Organization, alongside national institutions and civil society partners, to address the root causes of resource-based tensions in Guinea-Bissau. The initiative strengthens peaceful coexistence and sustainable water resource management among downstream communities through inclusive and participatory planning, with women at the center of decision-making and local development.

Strengthening planning and coordination for water investments

A key milestone is the development and national validation of a Participatory Spatial Development Framework, grounded in gender-responsive mapping of water points across the basin. Built through extensive community consultations and endorsed by national authorities, the framework now guides conflict-sensitive, climate-resilient, and gender-responsive water investments. It also improves coordination between public institutions and local stakeholders, ensuring alignment between technical standards and community priorities.

On the ground, the programme translates planning into results. Twenty existing wells are being rehabilitated and nine new wells constructed, integrating gender-sensitive design standards to improve safety, reliability, and equitable access to water. These investments directly reduce pressures linked to water scarcity, one of the main drivers of local tensions.

Advancing women’s economic empowerment through water governance

Beyond infrastructure, the Peacebuilding in the Koliba–Corubal Basin initiative strengthens economic resilience and social stability by positioning women as key actors in water governance. Through ecosystem mapping, more than 40 stakeholders have been mobilized to connect water management with entrepreneurship and local finance.

This approach has led to the selection of women-led businesses in sectors such as agriculture, aquaculture, and food processing. Targeted financing supports their growth, strengthens value chains, and improves long-term sustainability.

By linking inclusive governance, infrastructure development, and women’s economic empowerment, the programme builds the foundations for lasting peace in the Koliba–Corubal Basin, where water becomes a driver of cooperation and shared prosperity.