Introduction
The launch of the second phase of the programme is scheduled for the 8th September 2023 from 2‐4pm in Nairobi, on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit and the Africa Climate Week. ClimDev‐Africa is a joint initiative implemented through a partnership of the African Union Commission, the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank. The ClimDev‐Africa programme is mandated at the highest level by the African Heads of State and Government with the objective of creating a solid foundation for Africa’s response to climate change.
ClimDev‐Africa was launched in 2011 with the mandate to address the gaps in the observational records of past, current and future climate variations. It envisions a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development with a mission to strengthen the integration of climate action in development policy, planning and programming in African countries, regions and communities through investments in climate information services, disaster risk action, research and policy analyses, knowledge frameworks and partnerships between governments, the private sector, civil society and communities.
Despite a slow start, ClimDev‐Africa achieved a great deal in its first phase. As a high‐profile ambitious programme, it gained the confidence of countries, RECs and other stakeholders as a partner of choice for climate information and services, policy, advocacy for mainstreaming climate change into development planning. It increased the confidence of African institutions to engage in the global climate governance framework. The success of the programme created three major needs that have to be addressed: (i) continuous engagement with the decisionmaking community; (ii) capitalizing on strategic and operational opportunities created by ClimDev‐Africa Phase I; and (iii) harnessing the comparative advantage of emerging initiatives such as WISER and CREWs to provide climate information services in Africa to inform disaster risk reduction policies and interventions.
The strategic framework for ClimDev‐Africa phase II recognizes that economic growth on the continent is heavily dependent on climate‐sensitive sectors. The post 2015 development trajectory requires growth to be inclusive, sustainable and climate resilient. This in turn entails the generation, packaging and delivery of climate information and services, and the mainstreaming of climate change into development policies and strategies; and ClimDev‐Africa is well positioned to provide this service.
The ClimDev‐Africa Phase II programme has seven key areas of intervention: 1) Scaling up investments in observation and early warning infrastructure and creating the enabling environment for climate information and services to be widely available 2) Providing evidence through an analytical framework for climate‐informed development planning 3) Supporting climate governance, policy advocacy and implementation frameworks 4) Providing an integrated, open access climate resource platform and information service of choice 5) Developing approaches and strategies for communication, outreach and advocacy for climate information services to various stakeholders and development planners 6) Ensuring integrated programme management for resource efficiency and impact. 7) Promoting the use of climate information to enhance disaster preparedness.
