THE Green Climate Fund has greenlit $151 million in financing to bolster climate resilience in the Horn of Africa, a region grappling with severe climate-related challenges. This significant funding, approved during the Fund’s 39th Board meeting, will support a comprehensive resilience programme spearheaded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The financing package includes a $90.7 million grant and a $60.3 million loan, allocated to the AfDB’s ‘Building Climate Resilience for Food and Livelihoods in the Horn of Africa’ initiative. This programme is set to benefit 4.6 million people across five nations: Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
The Horn of Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate-induced risks such as unpredictable rainfall, soaring temperatures, and frequent droughts and floods. These environmental shifts have deepened socioeconomic struggles and imperilled the livelihoods of agro-pastoral communities that depend on rain-fed agriculture. The escalating impacts of climate change have led to rising incidences of livestock, crop, and human diseases, along with extensive land degradation, further reducing agricultural productivity.
Dr. Martin Fregene, Director for Agriculture and Agro-Industry at the AfDB, emphasised the bank’s dedication to enhancing climate resilience in the region. ‘The mobilisation of the Green Climate Fund support underscores the African Development Bank’s commitment to advancing climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture systems in the Horn of Africa, ultimately improving food security in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions,’ he said.
Fregene highlighted that the funding will reinforce the AfDB’s Feed Africa Strategy and complement efforts presented at the Dakar 2 Feed Africa: Food Sovereignty and Resilience Summit. The initiative aims to reduce poverty and food insecurity while promoting sustainable economic growth in the region.
The new funds will enable community-driven and gender-inclusive resilience solutions. These include promoting sustainable land management practices, expanding access to climate-smart technologies, fostering renewable energy use, and building capacity for cooperatives and small enterprises. Additionally, the programme will provide credit and climate services, early warning systems, and index insurance to protect communities against climate-related losses.
Dr. Anthony Nyong, Director for Climate Change and Green Growth at the AfDB, reiterated the bank’s longstanding commitment to climate action. ‘The new resources will significantly enhance our efforts to mitigate climate change impacts and build resilience, especially within agrarian communities,’ Nyong said.
In addition to direct community benefits, the Green Climate Fund’s financing is expected to contribute to significant reductions in carbon emissions. The project is projected to sequester 14.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over its 25-year lifespan—comparable to the lifetime emissions of 600,000 cars.
The African Development Bank will manage the new financing and oversee the program’s implementation, which is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2025. The programme, to be executed over six years by the respective finance and agriculture ministries of the five target countries, aims to provide long-term benefits to the affected communities for up to 25 years
