A report published in February by Global Health Strategies together with the African Union Commission finds that targeted climate adaptation finance produced measurable results across several African countries. The study reviews projects in Benin, Ethiopia and Namibia and examines how funds were channelled to reduce climate risks for communities.
In Benin the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) model, launched in 2014 with the UN Capital Development Fund, financed new flood defences, irrigation systems and resilient crop varieties. Performance-based grants administered by Benin’s National Fund for Environment and Climate linked funding to planning transparency, gender and youth inclusion and to delivery outcomes. By 2022 over US$9 million in Green Climate Fund grants helped expand LoCAL to 34 communes, reaching about 2.7 million residents in climate-exposed zones. Benin also deployed a Local Information System for Adaptation to assess risks in real time. The report says LoCAL accreditation by the GCF improved access to international funds, attracted co-financing from the African Development Bank and increased local government contributions.
The study reports a 20 per cent reduction in flood-related economic losses and a 15 to 25 per cent improvement in agricultural yields linked to targeted investments. It also highlights Ethiopia’s Rural Connectivity for Food Security Program (2024), funded by a US$300 million IDA grant and US$80 million co-financing from IFAD, which expanded all-season rural roads, raised market access for farming households and benefited more than 11.3 million rural households while cutting post-harvest losses.
In Namibia’s Oshana region, hazard mapping by women’s groups, micro-irrigation, drought-resistant crop trials and improved livestock practices were supported with mixed financing; women’s representation in adaptation decision-making rose from 40 per cent in 2021 to 72 per cent in 2024 and lessons fed into the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change. Experts praised the approach: "This model demonstrates that good financial governance can transform climate finance into tangible results," said Justin Chekoua of Forests and Rural Development. Other specialists called Benin a model for replication and welcomed integration into national tax systems as "a major innovation." Researchers also note limits: smaller local projects may be overlooked and access to adaptation finance often remains complex. Chekoua called for "more flexible and simple mechanisms" to help states and civil society obtain funding and scale effective interventions.
Difficult words
- adaptation — actions to adjust to changing climate conditions
- channel — send or direct money or resources somewherechannelled
- resilient — able to cope with difficult conditions or shocks
- performance-based — depending on results achieved or targets met
- co-financing — funding shared by two or more parties
- post-harvest loss — food or value lost after crops are harvestedpost-harvest losses
- governance — systems and rules for managing public funds
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Which aspects of the LoCAL model could be useful in other countries, and why? Give specific examples from the text.
- What barriers to accessing adaptation finance does the report mention, and what practical steps could make access simpler?
- How might higher women’s representation in adaptation decision-making change local climate outcomes? Explain with reasons.
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