Adaptation finance for Africa is falling dangerously short, both in quantity and quality. COP29 did little to help.
Over the past century, temperatures in Africa have risen by about 0.7°C, triggering more frequent and severe droughts, floods, and heatwaves. The continent is heating faster than the global average and the resulting catastrophic events disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations. Yet despite being at the forefront of the climate crisis, Africa receives a mere fraction - less than 3% - of total global climate finance.
The recent commitment at the COP29 climate talks in Baku to channel $300 billion annually to developing countries by 2035 is a welcome step up from the previous $100 billion per year climate finance target. However, the increase is far from sufficient. Projections indicate that developing countries require $1.3 trillion annually to combat the impacts of climate change. For Africa, where climate-related losses could reach 15% of GDP by 2030, current climate finance commitments fall dangerously short.
Beyond the numbers lies an even more critical issue: the way climate finance is distributed. The new goal agreed at COP29 lacks specific allocations for Africa or its least developed countries. Worse, it fails to prioritise adaptation, crucial for building resilience to ongoing climate impacts. The goal's reliance on private-sector investments and loans rather than grants, meanwhile, further undermines the ability of African nations to sustainably adapt. Adaptation funding is nowhere near adequate, both in quantity and quality.
Worst, and best, practice
Adaptation finance is already dominated by systemic inefficiencies. Between 2017 and 2021, only 66% of allocated adaptation funds were successfully disbursed to recipient countries. Even when funds do reach their destination, their effectiveness is hampered by bureaucratic hurdles, a lack of alignment with local contexts, and insufficient focus on local communities. According to the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), less than 17% of international public adaptation finance is directed toward projects with a specific focus on local communities.
These structural flaws stem from a disconnect between funding institutions and realities on the ground. Decision-makers often design projects without understanding local dynamics or drawing on community knowledge. Additionally, rigid accountability frameworks and disjointed funding systems impose additional costs on recipient countries, diverting resources away from concrete outcomes.
To address these challenges, adaptation finance must be reshaped around principles of equity, sustainability, and local ownership. Projects should emphasise the inclusion of local voices and knowledge. They should empower communities to take ownership of resilience-building initiatives.
The work of Humana People to People, a federation of 29 member associations worldwide, suggests how this can be done effectively. Its Farmers' Clubs, for instance, enable groups of farmers to strengthen their cooperation, access training, adopt sustainable practices, and diversify ways to generate income. Climate change is brought to discussions at the community level - in schools, village meetings, and public gatherings.
When it comes to climate adaptation, work with smallholder farmers is especially important as they are among the world's frontline responders. When conditions allow them to earn a living, they stay on the land and protect it as the foundation of their livelihoods and culture. In Africa, an estimated 33 million smallholder farms contribute up to 70% of the food supply. These small farmers mainly cultivate food for people's consumption. They often grow a wide variety of crops, contributing to biodiversity, the health of the soil, and the wellbeing of local communities. Yet they face serious threats from climate change, environmental degradation, and industrialised agribusiness. For Africa's resilience, it is crucial that localised food systems are supported.
The same principles of inclusion should apply to all local adaptation projects. From combatting saltwater intrusion in Guinea-Bissau, to addressing drought-stricken parts of Angola and Namibia, community-based and locally led adaptation planning is most effective when formulated by the people, as they identify challenges and responses. The work of our local organisations targets vulnerable rural communities in last-mile adaptation. Within those communities, projects empower vulnerable populations such as women, youth, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, to strengthen their voice and resilience in the face of climate change.
Organisations like ours can use in-house expertise and often our own funds to address adaptation challenges and access climate finance. But few grassroots organisations from the Global South have same the capacity to deal with the transactional costs of securing funds from international donors, much less the capacity to continually deliver programming on short funding cycles that characterise the landscape or, ultimately, when financing dries up.
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That means that without significant reforms to climate finance mechanisms, Africa will continue to bear the brunt of climate change. The $300 billion pledge, though a step in the right direction, is nowhere near enough. It is time for a systemic shift in how adaptation finance is conceptualised, delivered, and monitored in Africa and beyond.
This is not just a moral imperative but a pragmatic one. Investing in adaptation today reduces the human, environmental, and economic costs of disaster recovery tomorrow. It strengthens economies, protects lives, and fosters resilience in the face of uncertainty. Africa's future - and by extension, the world's - is tied to our collective ability to act boldly, inclusively, and equitably. In this decisive decade, it is essential that we commit to a transformative vision for adaptation finance. One that prioritises the people who need it most and ensures that no one is left behind.
Alfred Besa is the Country Director of DAPP Namibia, a Namibian NGO.
