The African Development Bank grants a loan of 56 million dollars to finance road access to the bridge between the two Congo

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

17-Dec-2019

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank granted, on Monday, a loan of 56 million US dollars from the African Development Fund intended to finance road access allowing access to the bridge which connects the capitals of the two Congo, Kinshasa and Brazzaville.

The implementation of the development project for these road accesses provides for major works on both sides of the river. On the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) side, the project includes road connections (construction and asphalting) of 6.8 km, studies of complementary access roads (Maluku-junction RN1) over 25 km and studies on on other infrastructures, in particular the bypass of the city of Kinshasa.

On the other side of the river, in Congo Brazzaville, detailed studies of the access routes between the localities of Yié and Maloukou (23 km) are planned, including the updating of the environmental and social impact study and of its management plan. A compensation and resettlement plan covering the access road to the road-rail bridge (3.2 km) will also be drawn up.

"This road-rail bridge will help ensure the continuity of road traffic on the Tripoli-Windhoek-Cape Town corridor, the branch of which in Central Africa, formed by the Cameroon-Chad-Congo-DRC link aims to link Yaoundé, Libreville, Brazzaville and Kinshasa, ”said Racine Kane, deputy director general of the African Development Bank for Central Africa.

In addition, drilling will be carried out in Maluku (DRC), which has nearly 700,000 inhabitants. The city's hospital center will also benefit from an ambulance and the rehabilitation of reception centers for patients with AIDS and cholera.

Given its agricultural and poultry potential, Maluku should take advantage of the completion of the project to accelerate its development and shelter a special economic zone. Its neighboring commune Maloukou, located in Congo, already shelters an industrial zone called to become a special economic zone in the periphery of Brazzaville which will extend on 200,000 hectares and will allow to create nearly 15,000 jobs.

"The project should make it possible to strengthen regional integration in Central Africa through increased trade between the two Congo and intra-community trade within the Economic Community of Central African States", concluded Racine Kane.

This project between Kinshasa and Brazzaville, conducted under the leadership of Africa 50 through the Public-Private Partnership approach, shows the central role of the Bank and the institutional synergy (State, NEPAD, PIDA, Bank) for the realization of this emblematic NEPAD project. It is also to be included in the framework of the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) steered by the African Union Commission, the NEPAD Secretariat and the Bank.

Burundi: African Development Bank’s SEFA grants $1 million to support innovative solar-hydro hybrid project

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

17-Dec-2019

The African Development Bank-managed Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) has approved a $990,000 grant to support the preparation of a 9-MW solar-hydro hybrid project in Burundi. The project consists of two plants, each featuring a solar and a hydro component as well as a local distribution network and interconnection to the national power grid. The innovative hybrid design is anticipated to regularize the power output during dry and wet season and mitigate power shortfalls caused by climate change.

The SEFA grant, which is instrumental in assuring project bankability, will support technical feasibility, environmental and social impact assessment and financial advisory for the project.

Upon completion, the project will also electrify about 20,000 households in surrounding communities through a local distribution network. By enhancing access to electricity, the project will also generate socio-economic benefits especially for women and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).

“In addition to the energy access and socio-economic benefits, with the strong government support, this innovative project will pave the way for increased private sector participation in renewable energy to diversify the energy mix in Burundi,” said Wale Shonibare, the Bank's Acting Vice-President for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth.

Welcoming SEFA’s support, Daniel Brose, President and CEO of Songa Energy Burundi said, “We are privileged to have secured this funding which is instrumental to the further development of our portfolio. This funding will bring us and the people of Burundi one step closer to our collective goal of widespread rural electrification in a country that has one of the lowest rates of access to electricity in the world."

The project is fully aligned with the Bank’s strategic goal to support inclusive green growth by promoting access to clean, modern, reliable and affordable energy services in rural areas, and to promote energy access and renewable energy technologies. It is also aligned to the Government of Burundi’s objectives to expand renewable energy generation capacity, and promote private sector involvement in the energy sector.

 About the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA)

The Bank-hosted SEFA is a multi-donor facility funded by the governments of Denmark, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Norway and Spain. It supports the sustainable energy agenda in Africa through grants and concessional investment to facilitate the preparation of green baseload, green mini-grid and energy efficiency projects; equity investments to bridge the financing gap for small- and medium-scale renewable energy generation projects; and support to the public sector to improve the enabling environment for private investments in sustainable energy.

Madagascar: African Development Bank approves guarantee of $100 million to hydro-power project, to benefit over 2 million people

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

17-Dec-2019

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a Partial Risk Guarantee (PRG) of $100 million to support the Sahofika hydro-power project in Madagascar, which will add 205 MW of renewable energy generation capacity to the national grid, benefitting over 2 million people.

The Bank’s support will include risk mitigation to the project developers and the debt providers by supporting the payment obligations of JIRAMA, the state-owned off-taker.

The Sahofika hydro power project, located on the Onive River, 100 km southeast of the capital Antananarivo, will involve the design, construction and operation of a 205 MW hydroelectric power plant, the construction of a 110 km transmission line to the site, and construction of camp facilities and 112 km of access roads.

Upon completion, the project will generate 1,570 GWh of renewable power annually. The project will enable Madagascar to displace up to 90% of thermal energy generation, to unlock its great hydro-power potential, and to expand its energy mix to more renewable sources. It will also contribute to the reduction of average end-user tariffs, and of greenhouse gas emissions amounting to 32,469 kt of CO2 over the 35-year concession period.

Noting the critical importance of the project to Madagascar, Wale Shonibare, the Bank’s Acting Vice-President for Power, Energy, Climate Change & Green Growth, said, “The Bank’s support to the national utility, JIRAMA, through the PRG provides much needed credit enhancement as JIRAMA continues to build its track-record as a bankable electricity off-taker that will in-turn mobilize investments into Madagascar’s energy sector. This will enable the country to achieve its strategic goals in terms of increased energy access, a more diversified energy mix and least cost generation”.

The project, which supports Madagascar’s ongoing reforms in the energy sector, is expected to reduce the share of thermal power generation in the country’s energy mix and significantly reduce electricity tariffs. The displacement of thermal power generation will also enable JIRAMA to considerably reduce its fuel purchase and decrease subsidies from the government to sustain its operations,” said Aida Ngom, the Bank’s acting Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation.

The Sahofika Project is aligned with the Bank’s High 5 Priority to “Light Up and Power Africa”, the Bank’s focus on energy access, and strengthening infrastructure for inclusive growth, as well as Madagascar’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the country’s Emergence Planwhich prioritizes boosting the power sector and increasing electricity access.

Egypt: African Development Bank board approves €109 million to transform sewage coverage in Upper Egypt rural areas

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

17-Dec-2019

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a €109 million facility for the development of sewage disposal and wastewater treatment plants for rural areas in Luxor Governorate in Egypt’s Upper Nile region.

The Integrated Rural Sanitation in Upper Egypt – Luxor (IRSUE-Luxor) project is set to boost sewage coverage in the region from 6 percent to 55 percent, improving the quality of life of citizens, including women and children, who are most affected by poor sanitation.

The facility consists of a €108 million loan from the Bank, and a grant of € 1 million from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI)- an Africa-wide initiative hosted by the African Development Bank.

“The Bank’s support under the Integrated Rural Sanitation in Upper Egypt – Luxor will develop more than 8 sewer networks and pump stations and 2 wastewater treatment plants located in the desert areas of El Tod, and El Keman El Matana,” said Mohamed El Azizi, the Bank’s Director General for the North Africa region.

The network will serve approximately 22,000 households (161,929 inhabitants). The households in satellite villages that will not be covered by the sewer network will benefit from an improved onsite sanitation service, which involves sludge treatment in the wastewater treatment plants.

IRSUE-Luxor contributes to the National Rural Sanitation Programme (NRSP) established by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Communities and aims at expanding access to sanitation services from 34% currently (national wide) up to 60% in 2030.

The operation will support ongoing sector reforms that will scale up wastewater collecting, conveying and treating infrastructure, thus contributing to increased coverage of improved sanitation services, leading to a cleaner and healthier environment.

As one of several initiatives supported by the African Development Bank in Egypt to optimize the use of the country’s water resources, this intervention will enable about 30,000 cubic meter (m3) per day of treated wastewater to be discharged into drainage and irrigation canals and will be re-used to enhance agricultural output.

Furthermore, the project includes a staff capacity- building component and the strengthening of a performance-based culture within the Luxor Water and Wastewater Company.

The initiative is in line with the Bank’s water sector policy, which promotes efficient, equitable and sustainable development through integrated water resources management. In addition, the operation supports tariff regulation to achieve full cost recovery, which is one of the basic principles of the Bank’s water sector policy.

IRSUE-Luxor will enable the Bank to consolidate its commitment to support the water and sanitation sector in Egypt, through an integrated approach combining sector reforms and infrastructure development.

The Bank will strengthen the country systems, focusing on results and sustainability, promoting good governance in the sanitation sector, and increasing sanitation rate in a very vulnerable area.

African Development Bank approves $5 million grant to scale up Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

16-Dec-2019

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank has approved a grant of $5 million to enable the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme to scale up its outreach and impact to 1,000 select youth entrepreneurs.

The grant follows the signing of a letter of intent between the Bank and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which took place during the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme launch in March this year. The partnership will bring about future collaboration focused on strengthening small to medium-sized enterprises as well as talent and skills development for Africa’s youth.

The partnership will support 3,050 young entrepreneurs across 54 African countries. The Bank's participation will enable an additional 1,000 entrepreneurs to benefit from the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program, which provides much needed opportunities to help stem the rising tide of unemployment and inequality facing the continent’s youngest citizens.

The programme aligns with the Bank’s ten-year Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy launched in 2016, to support the creation of 25 million decent jobs across the continent. The strategy is also expected to equip 50 million young African people with employable skills that enable them to access economic opportunities and realize their full economic potential across the continent.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme will deliver business training, mentoring, access to networks, markets and capital for business development to selected youth-led start-ups in order for them to grow and create jobs.

The Entrepreneurship Programme demonstrates a strong alignment with the Bank’s Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund objectives to build the African youth entrepreneurship ecosystem by scaling innovative youth led start-ups, expanding youth market opportunities and improving youth access to finance.

Other development partners involved in supporting the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme are Agence Française de Développement, the German Agency for International Cooperation, the United Nations Development Programme and the International Committee of the Red Cross. They will also work to provide more business opportunities to youth entrepreneurs across the continent.

In 2017, the Bank established the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund, in partnership with the governments of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands. The fund is a grant vehicle managed by the Bank to support the African entrepreneurship ecosystem directly and indirectly by leveraging on the Bank’s instruments. Its interventions will equip Africa’s youth with the right tools to establish start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises.

COP 25: African Development Bank urges African nations to persist with climate change ambitions as marathon talks end in Madrid

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

16-Dec-2019

The African Development Bank has urged the continent’s nations to stay the course on climate action, after a marathon session of talks at the twenty-fifth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 25) in Madrid.

The conference was scheduled to run from 2 to 13 December, but only concluded business on Sunday, two days after the official programme ended.

Meanwhile, back home, Africans were reminded of the all-too-real consequences if these talks fail to deliver results. Thousands of East Africans have been displaced in the wake of heavy rains that have battered the region since October, and more wet weather is expected due to an Indian Ocean Dipole attributed to the warming of the ocean.

Such extreme weather events should galvanise Africans; their governments are spending 2% of GDP on climate related disasters, said Anthony Nyong, Director for Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank. He encouraged the global community to remain steadfast in finding effective solutions to climate change.   The annual negotiations are now in their 25th year.

“The global community, and in particular Africa has a lot to offer in terms of solutions; what is evidently lacking is the global political will to turn potential into wealth to serve humanity and the planet,”” said Nyong, who led the Bank’s delegation to the UN conference.

At the conference, African delegates pushed for support for climate finance to build resilience against the impact of climate change and for special consideration for Africa around targets contained in the treaties under discussion.

The discussions at COP 25 centred around the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, which calls on countries to cut carbon emissions to ensure that global temperatures do not rise by more than 2°C by the end of this century, while attempting to contain it within 1.5°C.  The conference ended with a declaration on the “urgent need” to close the gap between existing emissions pledges and the temperature goals of the Paris agreement.

The African Development Bank attended the conference to lend strategic support to its regional member countries in the negotiations.

Nyong pointed out that Africa is committed; 51 of the 54 African countries have already ratified their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement signed at the landmark COP21 in Paris. The NDCs are specific climate change targets that each country must set.

Support for the Bank-funded Desert to Power project highlighted Africa’s determination to strive for a climate-friendly world, especially for its local populations, said Nyong. Desert to Power is a $20 billion initiative to deploy solar energy solutions across the entire Sahel region, generating 10,000 MW to provide 250 million people with clean electricity.

“The African Development Bank stands ready as ever to assist its regional member countries to build resilience against climate change, as indicated by the Bank’s decision to join the Alliance for Hydromet Development, announced at COP 25. The Alliance will assist developing countries to build resilience against the impact of natural disasters caused by extreme weather,” Nyong said.

The Bank will also continue to drive initiatives to strengthen the ability of regional member countries to advocate robustly at global forums such as COP 25, Nyong added. One example was the Bank’s participation at the annual African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and support for the Africa Group of Negotiations (AGN).

“We look forward to engaging further with regional member countries and other parties to ensure that the continent’s development agenda remains on track,” Nyong added.

Leaders and institutions from 196 nations plus the European Union, who have signed up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, attended the conference in Madrid.

African Development Bank commits €20 million to boost private sector competitiveness in Cabo Verde

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

16-Dec-2019

The African Development Bank’s Board of Directors today approved a €20 million loan to strengthen the private sector’s role in Cabo Verde’s economic growth. 

Bank funding will support the second phase of the Private Sector Competitiveness and Local Economic Development Programme (PSC-LED-II).  The programme will extend fiscal 2019 budget support to the government of Cabo Verde as it undertakes reforms to boost domestic productivity and the country’s overall economy.

Specific initiatives of PSC-LED-II include promoting the competitiveness environment through the adoption of a revised commercial companies code, key legislation for judicial insolvency as well as a strategy of transition from the informal to the formal sector. The African Development Bank project partners include the World Bank and the European Union, as well as the governments of Luxembourg and Portugal.

The project advances the Bank’s aim to industrialize Africa and to improve the lives of its people, two of its High 5 development priorities.

Approval of the loan by the Bank’s Board of Directors signaled the successful completion of the first phase of the project, which set out a project framework and proposed reform measures. 

“The overall performance of the programme is good and we continue to work closely with authorities and with development partners,” said Abdoulaye Coulibaly, Director of the Bank’s Governance and Public Financial Management Coordination Office.

The planned reforms aim to strengthen Cabo Verde’s private sector by tackling the Atlantic island nation’s score on a number of competitiveness and economic development indicators. These include increasing credit to the private sector from 63% in 2016 to 70% of GDP in 2020; improving Cabo Verde’s score on the World Bank’s 2020 Doing Business index; and boosting labor contribution to value added growth from 1.1% in 2014-2017 to 2% in 2017-2020.

A few hours after the approval of the project by the Board of Directors, an agreement was signed at the Bank's headquarters between Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, the Bank’s Director General for West Africa and the Ambassador of Cabo Verde in Senegal, Felino de Carvalho.

“The signing of this loan agreement affirms the Bank’s commitment to supporting Cabo Verde’s economic advancement.  We have every confidence the government will continue the vital reforms needed to strengthen the private sector and decentralization.” Akin-Olugbade noted.

Congo: African Development Bank Provides € 187 Million Loan To Support Economic Reforms

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

16-Dec-2019

To cope with the drop in its tax revenue and the effects of the recent fall in the price of a barrel of oil, notably a slowdown in growth, the Congo obtained financial support of 187 million euros on Friday in Abidjan. the African Development Bank.

The loan, approved by the Bank's Board of Directors, should allow the implementation of the Economic and Financial Reform Support Program (PAREF). This aims to create the conditions for sustained economic growth through the strengthening of budgetary consolidation and the revival of the Congo's economy.

"By approving this operation, the Bank will support the Congo to finance its critical social spending, clear its external arrears and reimburse its internal arrears to support the private sector, which has been hit hard by the economic crisis," explained Abdoulaye Coulibaly, Director of the Coordination Office for Governance and Public Financial Management at the African Development Bank.

In its implementation, PAREF will first focus on improving debt management processes and rationalizing expenditure through, in particular, the review of the tax incentive system, the control of the wage bill, the strengthening the efficiency of public investment and finally increasing the supervision of public enterprises. The objective is to improve the management of debt and budgetary risks.

The Program will also focus on the mobilization capacities of the government through the reorganization and modernization of the tax and customs services, the interconnection of the Tax and Customs databases. This operation consists of reducing the risk linked to the budgetary impact of the oil cycles, through the establishment of a stabilization fund as well as ensuring the recovery of the oil sector.

The proposed transaction should provide the Congolese authorities with the resources necessary to absorb the financial shock linked to the recent drop in revenues following the fall in oil prices on international markets.

The African Development Bank's portfolio in Congo Brazzaville includes six operations pertaining only to the public sector and representing a total of commitments estimated at 208 million euros.

COP 25: Africa pushes for special consideration in Madrid climate talks

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

16-Dec-2019

As terrible floods inundate their country, close to 100 Kenyan delegates have convened in Madrid, Spain, along with thousands of global leaders, for the COP 25 climate conference.

Of particular concern to African delegates is the disparity between the continent’s contribution to global warming emissions and its vulnerability to climate change impacts. Collectively, the 54 African states represented at the UN climate talks account for less than 4% of global emissions, yet across the continent, every nation is feeling the effects of a changing climate.

Earlier this year, catastrophic floods from two different storms affected over 2 million people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. In late November, heavy rains triggered deadly landslides that killed more than 50 people in West Pokot in Kenya. The rains continue to cause unprecedented damage across different parts of the East African nation.

In this light, African negotiators at the COP 25 conference have called for the continent to be granted “special considerations” to allow it more resources to tackle such climate-related disasters.

Chair of the African Group of Negotiators, Ambassador Mohamed Nasr, said African countries spend at least 2% of their GDP every year to address climate change.

Nasr said the cost was already a huge burden for the continent. Many African countries are only just discovering oil and gas – which they could use to drive their economies – but may have to leave these resources in the ground following calls from the international community to reduce emissions globally.

Granting Africa special case consideration would encourage the continent to maintain the path of sustainable development, Nasr said.

Latin American and small island nations said they were also uniquely affected by climate change.

In response, African experts have emphasized that their appeal was based on scientific studies which have identified the continent’s economy as potentially the most vulnerable. Africa’s call for special status first emerged in 2015 during COP21 in Paris, where ministers tabled the issue for consideration.

Informal consultations continued until last year’s UN talks in Katowice, Poland, before finally ending up on the agenda this year in Madrid.

The African Development Bank has played a key role in developing the continent’s position in the run-up to COP 25 and is present at the conference to support its regional member countries in negotiations.

The Bank’s delegation is taking part in several panel discussions and other events, including on gender and climate change, climate finance, the role of legislators in implementing the Paris Agreement and climate adaptation.

Mobilization at COP25 around the objectives of combating climate change: “The future of Africa depends on solidarity. "

AfBD NEWS & EVENTS

13-Dec-2019

Ministers, diplomats, NGO representatives and journalists have called, together, to build a united front to respond to the challenges posed by climate change in Africa, on the occasion of Africa Day organized Tuesday to the 25 th United Nations Climate Conference (COP25) in Madrid.

In a packed room at the IFEMA conference center, Yasmin Fouad, Egyptian Minister for Environmental Affairs, said on behalf of the African Union (AU) that he "continued the dialogue and sought acceptable solutions to the unresolved issues". resolved. We will continue to do so. We must, however, express our concern at the apparent reluctance of our interlocutors to take part in examining priority issues for developing countries, as shown by the large number of them which have simply been pushed back from session in session, without any progress ”.

Africa is the continent that contributes the least to emissions responsible for global warming, but it is also the most vulnerable continent, as natural disasters with devastating effects have recently shown. Africa accounts for 17% of the world's population, but only accounts for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. Since COP17 in 2011, Africa Day has been held every year at the United Nations climate conference in order to garner the greatest support for the cause of the continent.

"The climate disasters facing the continent require a predictable and joint response," said Mohamed Beavogui, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and Director General of African Risk Capacity, an AU agency responsible for assisting governments to deal with natural disasters.

“Africa must evolve towards innovative financing models based on the reality of the markets, so that it can set up a strong, united, resilient and influential continent on an international scale. The future of Africa depends on solidarity, ”said Mohamed Beavogui.

Vera Songwe, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said the commission would help African countries revise their Nationally Determined Contributions (CDN) to attract private sector investment in energy own. "The lack of ambition and of real concerted action at the international level to fight against climate change represents an existential threat for the African populations", she added.

In the fight against climate change, the Paris Agreement in 2015 is the driving force of the current negotiations. He calls on nations to ensure that global temperatures do not rise by more than 2 ° C by the end of the century, while seeking to contain this increase to less than 1.5 ° C. The next step will be to implement the NDCs, which define national targets under the Paris Agreement.

While African countries have emphasized in their NDCs their common will to build resilient and low-carbon economies, the continent's position is that this issue should not be treated in the same way as developed countries, because its carbon emissions are only a fraction of those of the major world economies.

“The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) remains committed to partnering with other institutions to provide the necessary support to African Union member states in reviewing and updating their CDN, ”said Estherine Fotabong, director of programs at AUDA-NEPAD.

Barbara Creecy, South African Minister of the Environment and current chair of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, said that Africa Day should come up with new ideas to improve the implementation of the NDCs on continent.

"Africa is already responding positively to the challenges posed by climate change," said Anthony Nyong, director of climate change and green growth at the African Development Bank, citing the considerable interest shown. for investments in renewable energy at the Bank's Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg.

“Obviously, we are a continent that has the resources to create the Africa we want. I think what has been the missing link is the ability to stand out and act on market signals, ”added Anthony Nyong. “We continue to present Africa as a vulnerable entity and not as an entity with industrial and commercial capacities offering opportunities. In fact, where we have tried to present it under this last aspect, the results have fully met our expectations. "

Chief Fortune Charumbira, vice-president of the Pan-African Parliament, said that strong climate legislation was essential.

"The planet's response to this challenge has shown that the implementation of legislation is essential for consolidating the efforts made by the various stakeholders, both for the Paris Agreement and for the contributions determined at national level" , he said.

Ambassador Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission, said that climate change is affecting key sectors of Africa's socioeconomic development such as agriculture, livestock and fishing, energy, biodiversity and tourism. She called on African countries to take stock of the Paris Agreement and its implementation from the point of view of funding for capacity building and technology development.

African Development Bank joins forces with international organisations to help developing countries build resilience to extreme weather

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

13-Dec-2019

The African Development Bank has joined forces with 11 other international organizations to assist developing countries to build resilience against the impact of natural disasters caused by extreme weather.

Following a series of deadly weather events that have caused widespread destruction, especially in Africa, the institutions came together at the COP 25 climate change conference in Madrid on Tuesday to launch the Alliance for Hydromet Development.

“The science is clear: the global average temperature has increased by 1.1°C since the pre-industrial period, and by 0.2°C compared to 2011-2015,” said Petteri Taalas, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization.

“Ambitious climate action requires countries to be equipped with the most reliable warning systems and best available climate information services. Many developing countries are facing capacity constraints to provide these services. The Alliance is the vehicle to collectively scale up our support to the most vulnerable.”

The members of the Alliance have committed to ramping up action that strengthens the capacity of developing countries to deliver high-quality weather forecasts, early warning systems, hydrological and climate services. Known for short as “hydromet” services, these underpin resilient development by protecting lives, property and livelihoods.

“The African Development Bank joins the Alliance in recognizing the gap in the limited capacity of African countries to address vulnerability to extreme climate shocks,” said Anthony Nyong, Director for Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank.

“Through the Hydromet Alliance, we are committed to doubling our climate finance support to African countries and will work with them to transition from dealing with disaster emergencies to building resilience against the impacts of extreme weather events.”

The founding members of the Alliance for Hydromet Development are the Adaptation Fund, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, the Islamic Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Bank, the World Food Programme and the World Meteorological Organization.

Members of the Alliance have committed to unite their efforts in four areas: by strengthening capacity to operate observational systems and seeking innovative ways to finance observations; by boosting capacity for science-based mitigation and adaptation planning; thirdly, by strengthening early warning systems, for improved disaster risk management (this would involve developing multi-hazard national warning systems, comprising better risk information, forecasting capabilities, warning dissemination, and anticipatory response). The members also agreed to boost investments for better effectiveness and sustainability.  This would include systematically strengthening the World Meteorological Organization integrated global, regional and national operational hydromet system.

The actions of the Alliance to close the hydromet capacity gap are guided by the principles of UN agreements, including the Sustainable Development Goals , the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

The Alliance is open for membership to all public international development, humanitarian, and financial institutions that assist the hydromet capacity of developing countries.

Nigeria: African Development Bank approves $124.2 million loan for water sector reforms in Akure to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

13-Dec-2019

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank on Thursday approved a $ 124.2 million loan to finance the Urban Water Sector Reform and Akure Water Supply and Sanitation Project in Nigeria. The amount includes an African Growing Together Fund (AGTF) loan of $20 million.

The overall project cost is $222.69 million and will span five years from 2020-2025.

The project is set to address bottlenecks in critical water supply services to households in the densely populated project area. It would provide residents of Akure city (Ondo State) and its environs, access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The project will strengthen the Federal Government’s capacity to facilitate urban Water Supply and Sanitation reforms.

 “The project will particularly contribute to improving the living conditions of the communities in the project area. Involving these communities in the public awareness and marketing activities, will increase the project’s ownership and ensure they pay for the water supply and sanitation services,” said Ebrima Faal, Senior Director at the Bank’s Nigeria Regional Office.

The loan will also help to install sanitation infrastructure for schools, hospitals, markets.

On completion, the project will benefit the 1.3 million residents of Akure City and vicinities. At the Federal level, the project’s Urban Water Reform component will establish a water and sanitation investment program that would contribute to scaling up of the National WASH Action plan 2018-2030.

The project, which combines “hard” water, sanitation and environmental protection infrastructure with “soft” analytical and institutional reform support, aligns with the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (TYS) and its High 5s priority areas, the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Policy.

As at December 13 2019, the Bank’s active portfolio in Nigeria comprised 61 operations, of which 54 are national and seven are regional. The total commitment to these projects is $4.8 billion and includes water and sanitation projects worth $606.0 million.

COP 25: African islands want their place in the sun as they grapple with climate change

AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

13-Dec-2019

Africa’s small island states are bearing the brunt of climate change, even though technology exists to prevent the worst impacts of extreme weather.

Climate expert John Harding said fewer lives were being lost as a result of natural disasters, because of advanced early warning systems. However, many cash-strapped African countries are not benefiting from new technologies to develop early warning systems.

Harding was speaking on Tuesday at the COP25 climate conference in Madrid during a panel discussion on building the resilience of small island developing states (SIDS) against extreme climate events

“There are many reports that say in Africa…the coverage of climate and weather observing stations is eight times lower than recommended by WMO for optimal weather observation systems…Less than 50 percent of them provide the type of information required,” said Harding, who heads the secretariat of the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS).

The session was hosted by the African Development Bank, a significant investor in efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Andre Kamga, director general of the ACMAD Center in Niger, said the Bank-funded severe weather observation project, SAWIDRA, had enabled the use of data to generate forecasts and early warning systems in Africa.

“What matters on the ground is the warning, which emergency services must use during disaster events to save lives,” Kamga said.

Linus Mofor, senior environmental affairs officer at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, said governments should invest in their climate response as they do in other economic sectors.

“Having said that, in the absence of the investment in early warning systems,, should we just fold our arms?”

The session was moderated by Antonio Palazuelos, from SYAH Cabo Verde, whose small island nation has been battered by extreme weather. The African Development Bank’s 2019 African Economic Outlook cites climate shocks as one of the headwinds facing Cabo Verde in the Atlantic; likewise the Indian Ocean islands of the Comoros, Madagascar and the Seychelles.

“Small islands have been for a long time not very much in the focus, so we are very glad to be here to say we need support from partners. We need to get more into robust early warning systems,” Palazuelos said.

James Kinyangi, head of the African Development Bank’s Climate and Development Special Fund, said small island states were a key constituency.

“The bank supports investments to modernize hydro-meteorological systems in Africa and manages partner efforts to address the weak observational capacity and lack of severe weather early warning systems for small island developing states in Africa,” he said.

Anthony Nyong, Director for Climate Change and Green Growth at the African Development Bank, followed up the session with another panel discussion on Wednesday on SIDS leadership on the ocean, climate and sustainable development goals.

He said the Bank had made investments to support island states, such as deep sea mining, and had identified the blue economy as a key part of its Feed Africa strategy to strengthen fisheries and other marine resources, creating wealth to “empower the African continent, not go to other countries”.

Nyong said the Bank had released about $17 million to invest in data systems to arm states with the information to better prepare for climate related disasters.

“The Island States are our shareholders and our clients. We pay very close attention to them. If they disappear with the rising sea levels, then it means we really need to assist them build resilience,” Nyong said.

He said island states offered opportunities for private sector investment, despite their challenges. “We are creating an enabling environment, working with countries…providing guarantees to improve the business environment and support climate resilient development.”