Big shortfall in climate adaptation funding undermines Africa’s ability to respond

The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident and yet a key component of the fight to preserve lives and livelihoods, namely adaptation funding, has stagnated, according to attendees of last month’s Africa Climate Roundtable. The event – hosted by African Risk Capacity (ARC), alongside various climate- and development-focused organisations, including the Africa Adaptation Initiative, the World Food Programme, the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the African Capacity Building Foundation, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the African Export-Import Bank, and the African Guarantee Fund – took place on May 7 and 8, mere days after the Kenyan government ordered evacuations for at-risk citizens, following weeks of heavy rainfall and flooding.