The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, BADEA, is pleased to announce a funding grant of USD 500 000.00 to the African Risk Capacity, ARC, to facilitate climate capacity-building work for six select African countries.
The confirmation of funding was made on the side of the African Development Bank, AfDB, Annual Meetings in Sham El Sheikh, Egypt in a meeting between BADEA’s Director General, Sidi Ould Tah, and the UN Assistant Secretary-General and ARC Group Director General, Ibrahima Cheikh Diong. It marks an opportunity to expand collaboration between the Arab World and Africa to facilitate response to climate change, one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.
In light of the growing climate crisis which is devastating the continent on many fronts, it has become increasingly urgent to strengthen African countries’ capacities to effectively respond to weather-induced disasters. ARC, as a Specialised Agency of the African Union, is mandated to work with AU member states to plan, prepare and respond to such threats. This funding will go a long way towards progressing capacity-building initiatives in the select countries and contribute to building their resilience to climate-induced disasters. This work capacitates governments’ Disaster Risk Management through an increased understanding of the risks a country faces, the development of well-thought-out contingency plans and preparing a country for participation in ARC risk pools for risk transfer purposes.
Speaking on behalf of BADEA, “Despite its very low contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa is heavily affected by climate change. Capacity development to adaptation and mitigation is critical,” said Director General Dr Sidi Ould Tah.
“We are extremely grateful for this funding from BADEA as it will enhance our efforts to support our member states in their resilience-building efforts at a time when climate change is wreaking havoc in many parts of the world and demanding attention,” said Mr Diong. “ARC is ready to roll out this project and we are excited at the prospect of further strengthening member states’ preparedness to manage climate-induced threats.”
Since being founded in 2012, ARC’s work is made possible by various partners that facilitate the delivery of its mandate in various ways. This partnership with BADEA is another important one in facilitating ARC’s work in member states. This project will start in June 2023 and be completed after a year.
