The European Union has announced €1 billion in support of climate adaptation in Africa.
This is according to a statement from Frans Timmermans, the executive vice president of the European Commission. During his speech at COP 27 on November 16, he laid emphasis on the event being an African COP and an adaptation COP. Timmermans said:
- “Africa has contributed least to where we are today. Yet many of the countries on this continent are among the most vulnerable to climate change and are suffering more than many other places. So, we need to step up our game for adaptation in Africa.
- “That is why I am happy to announce at this event that together the European Union and four member states, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark, will provide over 1 billion euros to support adaptation in Africa. This 1 billion euros initiative is a starting point. Other member states can join and we also encourage development banks to join.”
In a November 9 Washington Post op-ed, President Muhammadu Buhari wrote that Africa urgently needs investment in adaptation infrastructure — such as flood prevention systems — to stave off the disasters that destroy communities and cripple economies.
In his speech, Timmermans identified four things the €1 billion initiative will do:
- Collection and analysis of climate risk data
- Reinforcements of early warning systems, both at regional and national levels.
- The development of multi and single-country proposals to mobilize international climate finance, including from the private sector. This is to achieve the trillions needed for climate adaptation in Africa.
- Strengthening climate and disaster risk finance and insurance mechanisms to protect vulnerable populations against climate hazards.
Loss and damage: While addressing attendees, Timmermans also spoke about support for loss and damage, which is one of the frontier discussion points at COP 27. He said the European Union will also give €60 million to address loss and damage in Africa. Timmermans added:
- The EU will not stop there. The climate finance target for our main global budgetary program has been raised to 35%. And we intend to raise further investments for clean, secure, and climate-resilient infrastructure. That includes the Great Green Wall, the EU African Union transboundary water management initiative, and strategic corridors to name a few.”
Why this matters: In his speech, Frans Timmermans highlighted the fact that Africa has seen huge impacts of climate change, despite not being responsible for the current level of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. He said:
- “Every day we are reminded about the grave impacts of the climate crisis. You know Africa has seen incredible droughts and incredible floods. East Africa is now suffering from a terrible drought. You’ve had locust infestations; you’ve had coastal degradation at levels that are incredible. You see desertification causing levels of migration that are causing tensions in other countries. I mean, it is clear this is a challenge Africa can’t face alone.”
The Nigerian context: In 2022, Nigeria experienced floods across 34 states. These floods have affected households, businesses, farmlands (569,000 hectares damaged), as well as oil and gas facilities (in oil and gas producing states). 3.2 million people have been affected by flooding and over 1.4 million people have been displaced with over 600 deaths, across states. This is according to statistics from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Climate adaptation refers to actions that reduce the negative impact of climate change while taking advantage of potential new opportunities. It involves adjusting policies and actions because of observed or expected changes in climate.
