Changing weather patterns are affecting the efficiency and resilience of trade corridors throughout the African continent.“Globally, there is a growing trend towards developing trade corridors with the intention of promoting sustainable freight transportation and reducing the environmental and social impacts of traditional transport modes,” according to Tralac trade policy analyst Gita Briel. The carbon footprint of trade corridors is being reduced through a combination of low-emission transport modes, a modal shift from road to rail or water, support for the development of clean energy infrastructure, and minimising the impact of transport infrastructure on biodiversity.These elements are all included in the Green Infrastructure Corridors for Intra-African Trade programme which is being piloted in the East African Central Corridor through a partnership between the African Union Development Agency (Auda-Nepad), the Central Corridor Transit Transpor t Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA), and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Giz).The corridor connects Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda with other African economic corridors and seaports.One of the first projects is the upgrading and “greening” of Ugandan Port Bell harbour on Lake Victoria. It is used as a transit hub for cargo moving between Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.The Uganda Railways Corporation aims to increase the port’s handling capacity and at the same time make it a “green” port that is more climate resilient.Volumes through the port are expected to grow with the completion of two other green corridor developments – standard gauge rail lines linking the Tanzanian port of Mwanza to Dar es Salaam and Mombasa to the Kenyan port of Kisumu, both of which are on Lake Victoria.The Green Infrastructure Corridors programme is also exploring the use of compressed natural gas to power vessels on Lake Kivu and other inland water corridors.Another project is to improve the navigability of the Akagera River, which runs through Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.The Central Corridor Roads Climate Proofing Pilot Project aims to make the Muhanga-Mukamira road climate-resilient using engineering technology which will reduce the risk of road damage caused by f looding and landslides.Several intra-regional rail projects are also under consideration.Clean energy will be produced by the Kigali Sanitary Landfill, which will convert organic waste into biogas, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing “free” energy.Another Rwandan programme will improve the sewage system in the Gasabo district. It will reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases, minimise river pollution, and reduce the impact of f looding on the transport corridors and villages. ER
