10004007_1-Provision of Technical Expert Support on Climate Change Adaptation and Climate Finance in Central and West Africa

The regional project "Implementing Regional and National Adaptation Priorities in Central and West Africa (PACO)" is financed by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) through the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) and implemented by GIZ in Benin, Republic of Congo, Côte d"Ivoire, and Senegal. The project is carried out by a consortium comprising the African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the Climate Commission of the Sahel Region (CCRS), and GIZ, in close collaboration with national ministries of environment, public and private actors, and civil society. PACO aims to strengthen climate resilience and adaptive capacities of governments, civil society, municipalities, and small and medium enterprises in the target countries.

By supporting the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and governance frameworks, the project seeks to protect livelihoods and enhance climate-resilient development in regions heavily dependent on the primary sector and therefore highly exposed to climate change impacts. To achieve this, PACO operates through four interlinked outputs: Regional Support and coordination: The Climate Commissions for the Sahel Region (CCRS) and the Congo Basin (CCBC) support and upscale climate resilience of their member states in line with international agendas. Climate Governance: The four target countries strengthen their national climate governance frameworks and adaptive capacities of key stakeholders.

Sectoral approaches: Public and private investors implement transformative actions in priority sectors of the target countries' NAPs/NDCs to improve climate-resilient sectoral productivity. South-South collaboration: Key stakeholders engage in South-South collaboration and exchange experiences relevant to technology transfer. The present commission concentrates on activities under Outputs 3 and 4, with emphasis on the collaboration between GIZ and the two multilateral development banks-AfDB and IsDB.

Under Output 3, the AfDB, through its Climate and Environment Finance Division, will select from five small-scale adaptation projects (20 in total), one per country (four in total) for demonstrating their Adaptation Benefits Mechanism (ABM). The ABM is a results-based financing approach developed by the AfDB to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities and ecosystems. Officially recognized under the UNFCCC as the first non-market cooperative approach pursuant to Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement, it provides a tool for mobilizing new adaptation finance and scaling successful measures across Africa.

In parallel, the IsDB will update their pipeline of bankable climate adaptation projects in its member countries - Benin, Côte d"Ivoire, and Senegal - helping leverage public and private finance. Through cooperation with GIZ and other partners, the project targets mobilizing up to EUR 60 million in additional funds (including EUR 50 million from IsDB) for climate-resilient investments. Under Output 4, the IsDB, supported by GIZ, will implement a regional Reverse Linkage initiative to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer between countries.

This includes establishing a Regional Centre of Excellence in West Africa to host reverse linkages, enabling member states to exchange expertise and best practices in adaptation and resilience. The Reverse Linkage mechanism, pioneered by IsDB, fosters technical cooperation among member countries to develop endogenous solutions. Through these coordinated efforts, the PACO project will contribute to scaling up climate adaptation action, improving institutional capacity, mobilizing finance, and fostering regional and international cooperation to enhance resilience in West and Central Africa.