A report by Global Health Strategies and the African Union Commission shows that targeted climate adaptation finance produced clear results in Benin, Ethiopia and Namibia. In Benin a Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) started in 2014 with the UN Capital Development Fund. It supported flood defences, irrigation systems and more resilient crops. Performance-based grants by the National Fund for Environment and Climate linked finance to transparency and inclusion.
By 2022 over US$9 million from the Green Climate Fund helped expand LoCAL to 34 communes and reached about 2.7 million people. Ethiopia’s 2024 programme had major international financing to improve rural connectivity. The report notes that access to adaptation finance can still be complex.
Difficult words
- adaptation — changes to reduce harm from climate effects
- finance — money used to pay for a projectfinancing
- resilient — able to recover or survive problems
- irrigation — watering land and crops by artificial systems
- transparency — clear and open information about decisions
- commune — local town or area with its own governmentcommunes
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think irrigation systems are important where you live? Why or why not?
- Why is transparency important when organisations give money to projects?
- Have you seen any local projects that help people adapt to climate problems? Describe one.
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