The International Institute for Environment and Development (IED) says there is need to intensify climate financing projects in least developed countries as such countries only access 18 percent of the global climate change financing.
IED director, who is also head of learning and knowledge management at the Least Developed Countries Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (Life AR) Bethany Donthorn said this after visiting its projects in Africa, especially in Malawi and Uganda.
She said least-developed countries access 18 percent of climate financing while the actual councils that implement various climate resilient programmes only access 10 percent, statistics that mean despite climate finance being promoted globally, funds accessibility remains an issue.
Donthorn said: “From Malawi team, they have just finalised designing the framework for climate finance and they are also learning from Uganda on how their counterparts approach the climate financing.
“Eighteen percent of climate finance globally comes to least developed countries and the initiatives like Life AR want to turn these percentages to ensure that climate finance improves across all countries.”
Commenting on the progress of Life AR projects in Malawi, which are being implemented in Mangochi, Salima and Rumphi districts by the Ministry of Natural Resources Energy and Mining, Donthorn expressed satisfaction, saying the projects are progressing well as one of the early adopters alongside Uganda, Ethiopia and Burkina faso.
In her remarks, Life AR focal point for Uganda Harriet Kyomuhendo, said her country sent a delegation to Malawi for learning and knowledge sharing purpose to ensure that the project which is being piloted in 10 countries to build climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.
Kyomuhendo said: “We are here to share knowledge with our Malawi counterparts because Malawi is one of the frontrunner countries as is Uganda.
“What I have picked is team work. There is a lot of team work in the programme. The one thing that Malawi has done is to set up the programme implementation unit, which is not in Uganda and is one of the key lessons we have picked going back.”
Meanwhile, Ministry of Natural Resources Energy and Mining principal environmental officer for climate change in the Environmental Affairs Department Yamikani Idriss, said the engagements between implementing countries of Life AR programme is critical for knowledge.
The observation, few months after Malawi Carbon Market Framework launch, also comes at a time the Life AR programme, which seeks to build communities’ climate change resilience, is taking shape in Mangochi, Salima and Rumphi districts.
Speaking earlier, after touring the projects in Monkey Bay, Mangochi, Khombedza in Salima and Chitimba in Rumphi, Mangochi District forestry officer Takondwa Ganeti said through the project, a forest will be established in Group Village Sumbi to deal with floods that affect agricultural activities at Ng’ona Scheme.
In a separate interview, Salima District Council director of planning and development Eric Kenamu said apart from reforestation, Life AR projects in the district include irrigation, fish farming and bee-keeping, which target both commercial agriculture and building climate resilience.
In Rumphi District, the focal person of Life AR programme Gift Nyirenda said several interventions will be implemented by the communities to mitigate adverse effects of climate change, including tree and vetiver grass planting and construction of a 300-metre dyke along Kahewe-Bogolo River to protect people’s fields and homes.
ActionAid said African nations will pay $60 billion in debt repayments in 2024, while rich nations should be providing $1.4 trillion annually in climate finance.
