For years, reaching the Port of Abidjan – the main export terminal in the commercial capital of Côte d'Ivoire, or Ivory Coast – would involve long waits along grid-locked, poorly-designed roads. The port and its surrounding areas are also considered vulnerable to flooding, given the land’s low elevation and the lack of a workable drainage in some areas, as well as rising sea levels and intensifying rain storms along the West African coast.
A $536 million (£399m) investment programme that ran from 2019 to 2025 has, however, boosted the area’s storm tolerance and completely transformed port access, with critical roads and a bridge rehabilitated as well as a key industrial zone. Supported by an engineering company that seeks to prioritise climate resilience and sustainability in projects in emerging markets, road users now report fast-moving traffic and rainwater that now easily drains away, helping ensure that this key economic asset will remain viable as the world warms.
