By Rebecca Chimjeka Matemba:
Germany, Sweden and Wallonia have collectively pledged £28.5 million to bolster climate resilience in the world’s 45 least developed countries (LDCs).
Malawi is the chairperson for the LDCs.
The commitments were announced during the 37th Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) Council meeting on Thursday last week.
Germany pledged €15 million, Sweden committed €11.2 million and Wallonia contributed €2.3 million to the fund.
The resources will support the Global Environment Facility (GEF-8)’s strategy, which focuses on addressing environmental degradation through integrated and scalable approaches across sectors and regions.
LDCs Chairperson Evans Njewa urged other donors to step up response efforts.
“Timely support is crucial for climate resilience in vulnerable nations. Every contribution counts towards bridging the financing gap. These resources will directly impact last-mile communities,” Njewa said.
The LDCF allocates proportional equity shares to each of the 45 LDCs, enabling them to access funding through submitted proposals.
In the current GEF-8 cycle, which is running from July 2023 to June 2026, each LDC has been allocated $20 million.
With the additional resources pledged on Thursday, the allocations are expected to increase.
Malawi, for instance, has already accessed $15 million to manage the Bus River Catchment in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and develop an innovation adaptation project with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), set to launch next year.
The country is also advancing a $5 million concept for urban resilience.
However, natural resources management advocate Julius Ng’oma has said Malawi needs more funds for urban resilience.
“This is especially important now, when there is increased frequency and intensity of cyclones,” Ng’oma said.
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