Strengthening Climate Finance for Africa for Effective Adaptation and Resilience Building

A joint meeting for the operationalization of the CAHOSCC Decision on Green Climate Financing for Africa was held on August 6, 2024, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event was organized by the Africa Green Climate Finance Designated Authorities Network (AfDAN), the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). This crucial meeting aimed to discuss the implementation of the recent summit decision on climate finance for Africa, a topic of paramount importance given the continent’s ongoing challenges in enhancing adaptability and resilience to climate change.
Addressing Climate Finance Challenges
The conversation on climate finance for Africa continues to highlight several persistent challenges in increasing the adaptability and resilience of African populations. Peter Odhengo, speaking to partners at the meeting, emphasized the importance of the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) program currently being implemented in Kenya. This program serves as an exemplary model for building adaptive and resilient capacities among Kenyan communities and holds significant potential for replication across other African countries.
The Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program: A Model for Adaptation and Resilience
The FLLoCA program aims to accelerate the mobilization of climate finance for adaptation and resilience building throughout Africa. This program’s success in Kenya underscores the necessity of locally led initiatives to effectively address climate challenges. As Dr. Konyango articulated to the delegates, the rural-urban interface will be crucial in achieving climate adaptation goals. Partners at the meeting are tasked with examining communities, systems, institutions, and structures that support livelihoods to enhance adaptive and resilience capacities.
Historical Consensus and Frameworks

The necessity for reliable finance to support locally led adaptation and mitigation actions in both rural and urban areas was a consensus among African countries in 2015 in Alexandria, Egypt. This consensus was reaffirmed and integrated into the UNFCCC Framework during COP23, hosted by Fiji in Bonn, Germany, in 2017. This commitment led to the official launch of AfDAN at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022. Furthermore, a decision at the AU 37th Ordinary Session in February 2024 integrated AfDAN among its priority areas. This decision acknowledged AfDAN’s critical role in establishing an African agenda to build capacity, ease access, and accelerate the mobilization of climate finance, especially for adaptation and resilience building at the local level.
Reforming Global Financial Architecture
There is an urgent need to reform the global financial architecture to bridge gaps in multilateral processes and include financial institutions at local and national levels. This reform aims to increase access to climate finance and reduce bureaucratic barriers. Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance, reiterated that Africa is capable of providing its solutions. Successful programs in Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania demonstrate the effectiveness of locally led climate action financing. These initiatives, piloted and implemented in Kenya’s 47 counties, provide a model worth considering for other African countries.
Collaborative Efforts for Climate Resilience
Dr. Mwenda also highlighted the importance of collaboration between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environment, as observed in the successful Kenyan model. This cooperative approach is crucial for other countries aiming to enhance their climate resilience and adaptability. The Addis Ababa meeting is a step forward in fostering such collaborations and ensuring that Africa can mobilize the necessary resources to address climate challenges effectively.
The Addis Ababa meeting represents a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to enhance climate finance for Africa. By focusing on successful models like the FLLoCA program and advocating for necessary reforms in the global financial architecture, African countries can build stronger, more resilient communities. The collaborative efforts of AfDAN, AUC, UNECA, and GCF, along with insights from key stakeholders, will be instrumental in driving this agenda forward and ensuring a sustainable future for the continent.