A regional workshop has been convened to mobilize investors and partners around a portfolio of climate-resilient agricultural projects, enhance the capacity of national and regional stakeholders, and foster collaboration among actors involved in climate finance. The initiative also emphasizes the commitment of National Designated Authorities to align investments with climate objectives and national priorities.
Draft concept notes presented at the workshop cover agricultural resilience, pastoralism, energy, and hydrometeorology initiatives, particularly focused on early warning systems. These efforts aim to expand the climate finance project portfolio and ensure alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement.
ActionAid, a financial contributor to the workshop, is supporting countries in bridging the digital divide and introducing solutions such as access to agricultural finance, inputs and markets, training, technologies, insurance, and weather information to enhance resilience in the agri-food sector.
The ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) has received support from the Green Climate Fund to implement a preparatory program assisting Member States with institutional and technical capacity building, project portfolio preparation, knowledge sharing, and learning.
Opening the workshop, Ms. Jeanne Akakpo Adanbiokou, Chief of Staff for the Beninese Minister for Environment and Transport, emphasized the need for countries to collaborate in developing and implementing projects resilient to climate change and to intensify joint actions supporting the Regional Climate Strategy and National Designated Contributions.
Highlighting the economic stakes, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin, Amadou Diongue, cited African Development Bank data indicating that climate change could cost the continent $50 billion annually by 2040, with a further 30% GDP decline by 2050, primarily affecting agriculture and infrastructure. He stressed that despite national climate efforts, ECOWAS countries face challenges in accessing climate finance and called for strong commitment to climate justice at regional and national levels.
The ECOWAS Commission aims through this workshop to facilitate the development of projects meeting the Green Climate Fund requirements, ensuring mobilization of adequate financial resources to strengthen resilience in economic development sectors, particularly agriculture.
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