The African Union (AU) Commission formally launched Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Support for the AU’s Multi-Country Project to Accelerate Water and Climate Resilience Investments through the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) at COP29 Azerbaijan on 19 November 2024.
The project will strengthen AU Member States’ capacity for climate-resilient water investment planning and project preparation.
Fifteen countries will participate in phase one: Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Ghana, Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tunisia, and Zambia.
Improved capacity, institutions, and pipelines
“The AU-AIP Multi-country GCF Readiness Support will enhance each country’s capacity for climate finance programming and will advance countries’ pipelines through the development of concept notes,” said African Union Chairperson H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, who was represented by Mr. Harsen Nyambe, Director of the Blue Economy And Sustainable Environment at the launch event.
“Ultimately, the AU-AIP Multi-country GCF Readiness will assist participating countries to access GCF finance for the water sector by building institutional capacity, improving the enabling environment and bringing the private sector into water investments,” said Dr Amgad Elmahdi, Regional Manager of Middle East and North Africa at the GCF (picture left).
Closing Africa’s water investment gap
Africa needs investment of over US$3 trillion by 2030 to effectively implement its NDCs, according to the African Development Bank. The project will contribute to the AIP’s goal of mobilising an additional US$30 billion per year by 2030 for water security and sustainable sanitation in Africa.
The GCF support is part of the multiple funding commitments towards Africa’s water security that were announced on the margins of the 37th AU Heads of States Summit in February 2024 by the GCF, World Bank Group, and the European Union.
During the event at the AU Summit, H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Alternate Co-Chair of the AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investment for Africa welcomed the support and commended AU’s leadership on AIP.
The GCF Readiness support responds to recommendations made by the AIP High-Level Panel and the AUC for developing climate resilience national water investment programmes, strengthening institutions, capacity, and the enabling environment for water investments.
Towards the Continental Blended Investment Facility and Knowledge Platform
“The launch of the AU-AIP Multi-country GCF Readiness Support comes soon after the AUC and AIP High-Level Panel launched the AU Continental Knowledge Management and Blended Investment Facility to connect countries seeking funding to finance sources, and investors to a pipeline of investment opportunities in water and climate resilience, and to facilitate peer-to-peer learning among AU Member States,” said Mr Alex Simalabwi, CEO of the AIP and Executive Secretary of GWP-Africa.
The AU-AIP Africa Water Investment Platform and Blended Facility was launched at the 9th African Water Week in Cairo in October 2024 and will be further developed in collaboration with GCF National Designated Authorities (NDAs) and Direct Access Entities (DAEs) to accelerate knowledge exchange, and support pipeline development.
The Platform contains an initial pipeline of 57 projects valued at US$37 billion.
“This unique project is built on national leadership by NDAs, and DAEs, along with high-level political commitment and offers a replicable model with huge potential for other parts of the world. We will work closely with GCF to share lessons with other developing regions,” added Mr Simalabwi.
Country-led initiative
“This project will assist us to actualise our National Adaptation Plan and National Water Investment Programme. We want to showcase what we are doing in Zambia but also learn from other countries,” said Mr Billy Katontoka (left), National Coordinator at the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment of Zambia (the country’s GCF NDA).
Mr. Ibrahim Ali Yahye, Advisor to the National Designated Authority in the Somali Ministry of Environment & Climate Change said: “The initiative will support Somalia’s planned Climate Finance Unit (CFU) under the NDA. This will be a central hub for mobilizing, managing, and tracking climate finance. It will ensure alignment with our national priorities, enhance project quality, and drive transformative initiatives.”
Headline photo courtesy of UNFCCC