Africa is set to benefit from new UK-backed projects worth £49 million geared towards mitigating the effects of Climate Change.
The funding will help to create jobs, grow economies and improve the lives of women, farmers and at-risk communities.
This includes £34 million for new projects across 15 African countries to help women, at-risk communities, and more than 400,000 farmers build resilience against the effects of climate change, under the established CLARE, CIWA and WISER programmes.
Early warning systems, such as text alerts, radio and social networks, will help hard-to-reach communities take action before extreme climate events occur, and these projects will also improve water security for more than 1.5 million people.
Seven new climate finance projects will also be launched at the Africa Climate Summit happening in Nairobi, Kenya. Investments worth £15 million from UK-backed FSD Africa Investments will mobilise capital from private sources, allowing small-scale businesses to access finance, create innovative products and deliver inclusive tech solutions such as turning desert into land for farming. Together, these projects will improve access to basic services including renewable energy and healthcare for over 500,000 people, generate 3,400 jobs, and provide cheaper and reliable power to households.
“More action has to be taken, as those least responsible for climate change are increasingly bearing the brunt of its effects. The UK is working closely with African partners to fight climate change, boost resilience and help those whose lives are most impacted,” said UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell.
Whilst in Nairobi, the Minister will reaffirm the UK’s commitment to providing £11.6 billion international climate finance over 5 years, and will call for rapid reform of the international financial system to unlock trillions of dollars to combat climate change.
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