African leaders on Tuesday convened a special virtual high-level meeting to advance discussions on climate adaptation, with a focus on mobilising financing and strengthening coordinated action to build climate resilience across the continent.
The meeting was chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto, who called on leaders and partners to rally behind scaled-up investment and integrated strategies that align climate adaptation with development and macroeconomic stability.
“Africa is stepping into its next phase of climate resilience,” President Ruto said, adding that leaders are increasingly aligning adaptation efforts with development priorities to unlock resilient and inclusive growth across the continent.
Central to the discussions was the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme (AAAP), the continent’s flagship initiative aimed at scaling up climate adaptation while supporting job creation, food security, and public health. President Ruto emphasised that the programme is anchored in a strong partnership between the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA).
According to President Ruto, the collaboration brings together political leadership, financing, and technical expertise to accelerate adaptation at scale, particularly at a time when African countries face tightening fiscal space and escalating climate risks.
“This partnership is helping align adaptation investment with development finance at a critical moment,” he said, reaffirming Africa’s commitment to mobilising resilient financing solutions and forging concrete partnerships.
The meeting was attended by President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, President Mohammed Al-Menfi of Libya, AUC Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and former Senegalese President Macky Sall, who chairs the GCA Supervisory Board. Several countries, including Ghana, Norway, Mauritius, and France, were represented at ministerial level, alongside leaders of international financial institutions and strategic partners.
Addressing the meeting, AUC Chairperson Youssouf underscored the urgency of Africa’s climate challenge, describing it as a crisis the continent did not create but continues to bear disproportionately.
“Africa is on the front lines of a climate crisis it did not create,” Youssouf said, warning that droughts, floods, and rising temperatures are eroding livelihoods, economies, and ecosystems, while declining climate finance threatens decades of development gains.
“This is not only a climate emergency; it is a development, justice, and security emergency,” he added.
Looking ahead to COP30, Youssouf stressed that global climate goals cannot be achieved without Africa, and that the continent cannot unlock its full potential without predictable, equitable, and scaled-up adaptation finance.
source : TopAfricanews
