Photo by Ariel Nathan ADA MBITA on Unsplash (illustrative)
Benin's Cotonou Stormwater Sanitation Program (PAPC) is changing life in neighborhoods that used to flood every rainy season. In December 2024, the government took delivery of major completed works, and in May 2025 the World Bank, one of the program's funders, reported on the results.
Key facts
The program has built 46 km of primary drains, 90 km of secondary drains and side channels, and seven water retention basins.
About 49 km of roads were built or upgraded alongside the drains, some with new street lighting.
More than 168,000 residents in low-lying districts such as Sètovi, Vêdoko and Akpakpa benefit.
Health workers in one district reported fewer cases of malaria and diarrheal disease after the works.
Why it matters
In these Cotonou districts, floodwater used to fill streets and courtyards during the rainy season, bringing neighborhood life to a standstill and leaving standing water where mosquitoes breed. Drainage is unglamorous, but it is one of the most direct ways to make a low-lying coastal city healthier and more livable.
Worth noting
The health improvements come from local health-center observations over a short period, not a formal study. The program is funded by several partners, including the World Bank, the French Development Agency and the European Investment Bank, and other parts of the city still flood.