Benin’s innovative approach to climate change adaptation funding is being highlighted as a potential model for other African nations.
The findings are detailed in a recent report, “A comprehensive study on climate adaptation intervention in Africa,” published by Global Health Strategies (GHS) in partnership with the African Union (UA)’s Department of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy.
Facing climate risks including frequent floods, droughts, and coastal erosion – all threatening agricultural productivity, water security, and infrastructure – Benin partnered with the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in 2014 to launch the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL).
“These three examples show that if climate financing is better channeled through mechanisms of transparency and community participation, they can have significant positive impacts on the well-being of communities,” said Justin Chekoua, of FODER, Cameroon.
Suivez-nous sur WhatsApp | LinkedIn pour les derniers titres
The LoCAL mechanism utilizes performance-based climate resilience grants (PBCRG) integrated into the budgetary systems of local administrations, with the explicit goal of increasing both the scale and impact of adaptation funding at the local level.
According to the report’s authors, “LoCAL’s PBCRGs, managed by Benin’s National Fund for the Environment and Climate (FNEC), are directly linked to results achieved in terms of planning transparency, inclusion of women and youth, and concrete outcomes.”
“The accreditation of FNEC by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has improved Benin’s access to international adaptation funds, with co-financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and contributions from local authorities supporting the program’s expansion,” they added.
In 2022, over $9 million in grants from the Green Climate Fund enabled Benin to extend the LoCAL program from its initial nine municipalities to 34, covering approximately 2.7 million residents in areas highly exposed to climate risks.
Key adaptation actions initiated through the LoCAL mechanism have focused on constructing flood protection infrastructure in vulnerable areas, introducing drought-resistant crop varieties and irrigation systems to strengthen agricultural resilience.
The program also deployed a Local Information System for Adaptation (LISA), a digital platform enabling real-time climate risk assessment and participatory local planning.
The report notes a roughly 20% reduction in economic losses related to floods and a 15 to 25% increase in agricultural yields, “thanks to targeted investments in adaptation.”
Innovation majeure
The implementation of the program in Benin has garnered attention from experts. Nadine Omonlola Worou, a scientific coordinator at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), a research center of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), is among them.
Worou stated that the issues presented in Benin are significant. “The projects are structurally embedded in national planning policies. It’s a very suitable example in terms of replication,” she said.
Justin Chekoua, program officer at Forests and Rural Development (FODER), a non-profit environmental association that supports rural women in adopting climate change adaptation practices in Cameroon, echoed this sentiment.
Chekoua believes the Benin case demonstrates that a local mechanism integrated into the national budget can produce measurable results, citing the reduction in flood-related losses and improved agricultural yields.
“This model demonstrates that good financial governance can transform climate finance into tangible results,” the expert asserted.
Joseph Magloire Olinga, an expert in local climate action and researcher at the think tank “The Okwelians,” affirmed that Benin’s model is exemplary for its integration into national fiscal systems, which he described as “a major innovation.”
According to Emmanuel Siakilo, principal advisor on climate change adaptation and resilience at the African Union Commission, the report was motivated by the need to determine which adaptation interventions work on the continent.
“Climate action must be adapted to the context, even if it requires a global effort to manage it. We have development partners, an international community that provides us with resources, but if they bring these resources today, are we going to invest this money? We don’t want to move blindly,” he explained.
“We wanted to be very precise about the allocation of funds for adaptation, what works and what will work if we want to scale up so that communities begin to perceive the benefits of these resources for adaptation,” he said in an interview with SciDev.Net.
Programme de connectivité rurale
In addition to the Benin case, the report also cites examples from Ethiopia and Namibia. In Ethiopia, to combat recurrent climate shocks, including prolonged drought, heavy rainfall, and periodic floods, and to strengthen climate resilience, the World Bank launched the Rural Connectivity Program for Food Security in 2024.
Supported by a $300 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA) and $80 million in co-financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the program included the construction and rehabilitation of over 12,000 km of rural roads and bridges.
the number of passable roads year-round increased from 4,200 km in 2021 to over 12,000 km in 2024. Reliable access to markets for agricultural households increased from 30% to 73%. And over 11.3 million rural households directly benefited from the program, with a 20 to 30% reduction in post-harvest food losses.
This Ethiopian approach “demonstrates how massive investments in rural infrastructure strengthen food security, improve livelihoods, and stem rural exodus,” commented Joseph Magloire Olinga
“It shows that a significant investment in climate change can help reduce vulnerability of communities and increase incomes,” added the FODER program chief.
In Namibia, interventions were carried out in the Oshana region, located in the country’s central-north zone, affected by drought and facing persistent climate variability characterized by irregular rainfall and progressive land degradation.
The interventions included hazard mapping by women’s groups, as well as the implementation of micro-irrigation systems, trials of drought-resistant crops, and sustainable livestock management practices. Radio programs and theatrical performances were also used to raise awareness of climate risks and adaptation strategies.
The interventions were co-financed by the Climate & Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) innovation fund, local authority development budgets, and community contributions in kind (labor, land, and materials).
Représentation des femmes
Thanks to this initiative, women’s representation in climate adaptation decision-making processes increased from 40% in 2021 to 72% in 2024, and lessons learned from the Oshana pilot project were integrated into Namibia’s National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change.
“Putting women at the center of action can produce significant results, as they are the most affected by climate change and can therefore adapt better,” said Justin Chekoua.
FODER’s expert noted, “these three examples show that if climate financing is better channeled through mechanisms of transparency and community participation, they can have significant positive impacts on the well-being of communities.”
However, Nadine Omonlola Worou found that the analysis was based only on projects that are “certainly” funded by programs. “Speaking of local initiatives, we do not see the small projects that are put in place by the communities,” she said.
She was also left wanting for details: “as for the financing, which requires complexity, analyses and perhaps reforms (…), we do not have enough information…,” she said.
Justin Chekoua also believes that access to climate change adaptation financing remains difficult for African countries due to the complexity of the mechanisms.
“The procedures are [too] complex and difficult to access for both states and civil society organizations that accompany communities on a daily basis. More flexible and simpler mechanisms are needed to allow African organizations and states to access these funding windows,” he said.
Finally, regarding the recommendations, Nadine Omonlola Worou regrets “that there is no analysis of the graduation of recommendations that can be made easily and those that require much more effort.”
This article was produced with the support of Global Health Strategies, an organization that uses communication and advocacy to help drive profound change in the fields of health and development around the world.
