Water-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus in the DR Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where household energy mainly comes from forest biomass, and the potential for large-scale energy production is tied to expanding hydropower generation, new approaches to decision-making are needed to align resource use with sustainable development and climate objectives. The water-energy-ecosystem nexus (WEENO) approach supports relevant stakeholders in making informed decisions. This data-driven approach uses decision support systems to model the impacts of different resource use scenarios. The project improves data and information by strengthening stakeholders’ capacities to analyse and utilise data, enhancing cross-sectoral and inclusive coordination, and sharing knowledge and experiences for scaling up. Conflicts of interest between local communities, climate concerns, and ecosystems are minimised.

Project data

Countries
The Democratic Republic of Congo
IKI funding
4,900,000.00 €
Duration
04/2024 till 03/2027
Status
open
Implementing organisation
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner
  • Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development - DR Congo
Implementing Partner
  • Ministry of Hydraulic Resources and Energy of the Democratic Republic of Congo (MRHE) - Congo
  • Water Resources Department (DRE) - DR Congo
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State of implementation/results

  • In 01/2025, the project’s inception workshop took place in Kinshasa and brought together 65 participants, including the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), the German Embassy (on behalf of BMUKN), the project’s implementing partners, representatives of governmental institutions, civil society, women’s organizations, indigenous communities, universities and other donor organizations.
    • The workshop was widely covered in Congolese media (TV, radio, press, YouTube).
    • Key next steps were identified, including optimization of the logical framework, stakeholder mapping, human development strategy and operational planning.
    • An extensive Q&A session and lively discussion demonstrated the strong interest of all stakeholders in the project.
  • In 06/2025, the project was presented at the Forum on the Congo Basin, an international event organized by the Centre of Research on Water Resources of the Congo Basin at the University of Kinshasa.
  • From 07/2025 to 09/2025, various sensitization workshops were held for women's groups and representatives of local communities, in which the participants formulated their needs, expectations and possible contributions to the project.

Latest Update:
12/2025

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