UK pledges £49m for climate adaptation projects in Africa 

The UK on Monday announced new adaptation projects worth £49 million for Africa.

Andrew Mitchell, UK minister for development, made the announcement at the maiden African Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mitchell said the partnerships between Africa and the UK on green investment and climate resilience are “growing economies and improving lives”.

“But more action has to be taken, as those least responsible for climate change are increasingly bearing the brunt of its effects,” he said.

“The UK is working closely with African partners to fight climate change, boost resilience and help those whose lives are most impacted.”

JOB CREATION, WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Through the intervention, the UK intends to assist more than 400,000 farmers in building resilience against the effects of climate change.

“These projects will focus on mobilising finance for climate action and help people manage the impact of climate change across the continent – two critical areas in Africa’s fight against climate change,” the UK government said.

“The funding will help to create jobs, grow economies and improve the lives of women, farmers and at-risk communities.

“This delivers on the UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly’s promise of honest reliable investment in Africa when he visited Kenya in December 2022, along with COP26 commitments, demonstrating the strength and capability of UK-Africa partnerships.

“This includes £34 million for new projects across 15 African countries to help women, at-risk communities, and more than 400,000 farmers build resilience against the effects of climate change, under the established CLARE, CIWA and WISER programmes.

“Early warning systems, such as text alerts, radio and social networks, will help hard-to-reach communities take action before extreme climate events occur, and these projects will also improve water security for more than 1.5 million people.”

SEVEN NEW CLIMATE FINANCE PROJECTS

The UK government said it will launch seven new climate finance projects at the summit as well as mobilise investments from the private sector.

“Investments worth £15 million from UK-backed FSD Africa Investments will mobilise capital from private sources, allowing small-scale businesses to access finance, create innovative products and deliver inclusive tech solutions such as turning desert into land for farming,” the UK said.

“Together, these projects will improve access to basic services including renewable energy and healthcare for over 500,000 people, generate 3,400 jobs, and provide cheaper and reliable power to households.”

The UK minister for development affirmed his country’s commitment to providing £11.6 billion in international climate finance over five years.