Report on climate change and development in Africa

This paper presents an update on Africa’s climate change and development agenda from June 2009 to date and addresses disaster risk reduction within the implementation of climate-change related continental/regional programmes. It calls for new, additional, sustainable, accessible and predictable finance for a comprehensive international programme on adaptation, which reduces vulnerability and increases resilience to impacts that are already occurring, and to impacts that are likely to occur in the future.

The paper: (1) provides an overview of progress in implementing relevant decisions and resolutions on climate change of African Union Summits, AMCEN and the Joint AUC/ECA Annual Meetings; (2) draws attention to actions taken and progress made in the operationalization of the Climate for Development in Africa (Climdev-Africa) Programme and its entities and in the implementation of other climate change related continental/regional programmes; (3) highlights support to the African preparatory process towards Copenhagen and discusses the Copenhagen outcomes and the way forward for Africa; (4) draws attention to follow-up actions, including planned major continental/regional initiatives post Copenhagen; and (5) presents some concluding remarks and proffers recommendations on the way forward for the consideration of Ministers.

It also includes policy recommendations on: (i) integrating climate change needs into national decision making, so as to reduce its negative effects on resources, livelihoods and the wider economy; (ii) strengthening Africa’s coordination and negotiation structures and mechanisms in light of the lessons learned at Copenhagen, to ensure that Africa continues to participate effectively in the international climate change negotiations and to refine its positions for the 2010 negotiations; (iii) requesting more reforms in the current governance system for climate change financing and the quick operationalization of the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund; and (iv) building countries’ institutional, technical and managerial capacities to effectively access and use these funds.