Green Climate Fund Approves $151M for Climate Resilience Program in the Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate-related challenges, including erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and increasingly frequent droughts and floods.

The Green Climate Fund has approved $151 million in financing to support a major climate resilience program led by the African Development Bank (AfDB) aimed at addressing climate vulnerability in the Horn of Africa. The approval, granted during the Fund’s 39th Board meeting, includes a $90.7 million grant and a $60.3 million loan. The funding will bolster the AfDB's "Building Climate Resilience for Food and Livelihoods in the Horn of Africa" program, which is set to benefit 4.6 million people across Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

The Horn of Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate-related challenges, including erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and increasingly frequent droughts and floods. These conditions have exacerbated socioeconomic difficulties and threatened the livelihoods of agro-pastoral communities that depend on rain-fed agriculture. The region has also experienced a rise in livestock, crop, and human diseases, alongside land degradation, all of which have reduced productivity.

Dr. Martin Fregene, Director for Agriculture and Agro-Industry at the AfDB, emphasized the Bank's commitment to building climate resilience. “The mobilisation of the Green Climate Fund support shows the continued commitment of the African Development Bank Group to scale up climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture systems in the Horn of Africa, thereby improving food security in one of the most vulnerable regions of the planet,” he said.

The financing will help reduce poverty and food insecurity, contributing to accelerated sustainable economic growth in the region. It will also support the AfDB's Feed Africa Strategy and complement the Country Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts presented at the Dakar 2 Feed Africa: Food Sovereignty and Resilience Summit.

The program will implement community-driven and gender-balanced resilience solutions, including sustainable land management practices, access to climate-smart technologies, renewable energy, capacity-building for cooperatives, agribusinesses, and micro, small, and medium enterprises. Additionally, it will provide credit and climate services, early warning systems, and index insurance.

Dr. Anthony Nyong, AfDB’s Director for Climate Change and Green Growth, noted the Bank's long-standing commitment to climate action. He highlighted that the new resources will enhance the Bank's efforts to mitigate climate change impacts and build resilience, particularly in agrarian communities.

Beyond community benefits, the Green Climate Fund's financing is expected to contribute to significant carbon emission reductions, potentially sequestering 14.1 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over the project's 25-year duration—equivalent to the lifetime emissions of 600,000 cars.

The AfDB will oversee the new financing and monitor the program, which is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025. Implementation will be carried out by the five target countries through their respective finance and agriculture ministries, with project interventions expected to benefit communities for the next 25 years.