During the month of June, the African Development Bank (AfDB) will host two major development forums with an eye to expanding support for green growth in Africa.

First, the 2011 AfDB Annual Meetings from 6-10 June in Lisbon, Portugal will feature a number of events focusing on the Bank's role in stimulating investment in low carbon development, climate finance and greening key sectors, particularly the energy sector.

Then, from 24-25 June, the AfDB will host the 2011 Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Partnership Forum in Cape Town, South Africa. This annual event strives to advance the goals of CIF worldwide, and this year will give special focus to climate resilient development in Africa.

2011 AfDB Annual Meetings Go Green

The morning of 7 June 2011 will be devoted to "Green Growth Now: an African Perspective." The first part of the event provides an expert panel discussion on promoting green growth. The second part, a kind of case study, presents the huge hydropower potential of the Inga site in the DRC. The event will be moderated by BBC's Komla Dumor.

It is expected that President Kaberuka will participate to this side event, and will initial the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) agreement with the government of Denmark.

Energy and climate change will be further examined at the high-level forum entitled "Powering Africa: Financing Energy, Green Growth and Climate Change" on 8 June 2011. Ministers and other high level representatives from the public and private sector will examine the paradigm shift to clean energy, its opportunities and incentives, as well as the trade-offs.

Also on 8 June, the side event on "the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative and the African Water Facility" will also address how climate change is affecting this key sector for Africa's development.

Throughout the annual meetings, a photo exhibition will be on display to illustrate "Climate Change in Africa." The exhibition aims to reiterate the importance of an Africa Green Fund to finance the efforts of African countries in the areas of mitigation and adaptation, and also to finance low-carbon development programs.

A multimedia exhibition on "Preserving African Forests " will help raise awareness about the risks to the continent's ecosystem, which include commercial logging, mining, and converting wild forests for agricultural purposes.

AfDB hosting CIF Partnership Forum

Later in June, the Bank will welcome 400 delegates from 45 nations--including 15 African countries implementing CIF programs--to Cape Town, South Africa for the CIF Partnership Forum from 24-25 June 2011.

This year's forum will feature sessions on private sector engagement in mitigation and adaptation investments, scientific updates and guidance on prioritizing actions, climate modeling, and the development of local, clean technology manufacturing industries.

The opening plenary, press conference, and sessions on wind power and clean tech manufacturing will be livestreamed to allow a wider online audience to actively engage in this unique learning opportunity.

African delegations from Algeria, Burkina Faso, the DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia will attend.