What It Will Take to Deliver Finance for Adaptation in Africa

By Thuku Kariuki and Daniel Furnad

From the frequent extreme weather events in recent years in Africa, there is overwhelming evidence that the continent suffers disproportionately from the adverse effects of climate change. This is despite the continent's minimal contribution to the crisis. 

While various programs aimed at mitigating against the effects of climate change have been embraced across the continent, experts warn that until the world's biggest carbon emitters take radical action to cut down on their polluting behaviour, it will be nearly impossible to stabilize or reduce global temperatures. 

At the same time, Africa must adapt - as its only lifeline. 

Over the years, developed nations have been pledging to help fund mitigation and adaptation programs in the developing world, including in Africa. The majority of the pledges, often presented during global climate events, are hardly ever fulfilled. 

At UNFCCC's COP28 in Dubai in 2023, for example, expectations were high for a resolution to avail finance and to bring an end to the fossil fuel regime. The actions and declarations barely in the end matched the expectations. 

As COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, fast approaches, more promises will be made on top of the unfulfilled commitments. 

Given the history of climate events falling short of their resolutions, experts now say African nations must present a stronger and unified position and speak in one voice during the ongoing and subsequent discussions on climate change. 

The experts are calling on African negotiators under the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) to be more ambitious in their finance demand. Only then will the right funding come to the continent to help boost the adaptive capacity of communities on the climate frontline and to build their resilience against climate shocks.

As part of the wider conversation on adaptation finance on the continent, climate think tank Power Shift Africa hosted this week an X Space that brought together economic experts, civil society and negotiators to address the critical question of finance.

The discussion elicited hard-hitting questions, namely: how much financing is needed for adaptation? Where will this finance come from? 

Here, we present some of the key takeaways from X Space. 

Kalthoum Omari Motsumi, Special Advisor at the African Adaptation Initiative, highlighted a significant gap: "There are global targets that we have agreed upon under the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). However, we lack the means of implementation attached to those targets. For example, consider the target on agriculture and food security—what will that cost globally?”

The adaptation negotiator also emphasized that costs should not be limited to finances alone bit cover other areas like capacity building and the transfer of critical technologies.

Tunisian economist and professor of economics Fadhel Kaboub, offered some ballpark figures: 

“We need to move from the millions and the very low billions to the trillions. That is the path forward for actual transformation and adaptation," the senior finance advisor at Power Shift Africa argued.

Kaboub insisted that finance for adaptation must be available alongside finance for economic development and transformation. He added: "It is not a choice between climate or development; they are the same. This is our opportunity to leapfrog and build a resilient set of African economies.”

Imane Saidi, a researcher at the Imal Initiative for Climate and Development, highlighted the slow progress in adaptation efforts, saying: “Adaptation has been characterized by very procedural and foot-dragging outcomes.”

Imane further acknowledged that COP28 established dramatic funding targets but noted a significant flaw: 

“Ultimately, it remains a toothless framework because it lacks the necessary financial means of implementation.”

Dr. Michael David Terungwa, a Nigerian farmer based in Abuja, did not hold back in his criticism: “It’s all been talk without action. COP26, popularly known as the Dublin Pact, called for doubling finance to assist developing countries in adapting to climate impacts. But where are we today?” 

Though he left this rhetorical question unanswered, he concluded with a glimmer of optimism: “I have a little hope.”

Nfamara Dampha, an adaptation negotiator from the Gambia, representing the world’s least developed countries (LDCs), put forth a significant figure: 

“A recent report from the Climate Policy Institute estimates that Africa needs about $450 billion to finance its climate agenda.”

Finally, some actionable advice emerged from the discussion. Dampha urged African governments to mobilize national and international resources to develop their national adaptation plans, known as NAPs. 

"As long as you don’t have these plans, you are unable to attract financing,” he warned.

Civil society organizations were also called to action, with Kulthoum stressing the importance of collaboration between technical experts,. negotiators and civil society actors.

“We are now entering a very technical phase of the negotiation where civil society researchers and non-state actors can provide crucial evidence through research and findings. Such evidence is vital in the negotiation process.”

She also underscored the need for a focused approach to securing adaptation finance: 

“The operationalization of the Global Goal on Adaptation framework depends on securing ambitious commitments to the new collective quantified goal this year. The hope is to end up with an ambitious proposal for adaptation finance, possibly in the form of a sub-target dedicated to adaptation finance, involving public finance, grants, and highly concessional finance.”

Many observers in the climate discourse say the time is ripe for collective action that delivers finance to vulnerable communities who need it the most.

At the AMCEN meeting in Abidjan, Côte D'Ivoire, this week, African ministers resolved that leaders in the continent must coordinate their negotiation strategies to have a common approach. The ministers also called on African leaders to outline where the funding for adaptation will go, and demonstrate how the African people will benefit. 

Attending summits and gathering facts are necessary, but sooner or later, we must see results. The money for adaptation is out there—let’s get it.