The first Africa Climate Resilient Infrastructure Summit (ACRIS I), hosted by the African Union Commission (AUC), among others, took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27-29 April 2015.
Held under the theme ‘Africa towards resilient infrastructure development,' the event aimed to introduce African Union (AU) member States to practical solutions that can address the effects of climate change on infrastructure, agriculture, food security and other key sectors.
29 April 2015: The first Africa Climate Resilient Infrastructure Summit (ACRIS I), hosted by the African Union Commission (AUC), among others, was held under the theme ‘Africa towards resilient infrastructure development.’ The event aimed to introduce African Union (AU) member States to practical solutions that can address the effects of climate change on infrastructure, agriculture, food security and other key sectors.
The Summit, which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27-29 April 2015, brought together: African ministers for energy, agriculture, transport and infrastructure; representatives of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF); financial institutions; development partners; and the private sector.
Showcasing its Climate Safeguard System (CSS), the African Development Bank (AfDB) emphasized its Ten-Year Strategy 2013-2022, which includes the promotion of green growth through sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure in the region as its core objective. Aiming to help reduce vulnerability of infrastructure projects to climate risks by carrying out upstream risk assessments in project designs, the CSS facilitates the identification of appropriate adaptation components and measures that may be eligible for financial resources from climate funds.
The World Bank launched its report, titled ‘Enhancing the Climate Resilience of Africa’s Infrastructure: the Power and Water Sectors,’ which addresses climate change impacts on hydropower, irrigation and electricity expansion in the region. The report finds that the continent’s economic growth prospects can be improved by integrating future climate changes into infrastructure planning. Using a consistent approach across river basins and power systems in Africa, as well as a range of climate projections to evaluate climate change risks to planned investments in Africa’s water and power sectors, the report analyses how investment plans could be modified to minimize those risks, and quantifies corresponding benefits and costs. [ACRIS Website] [AfDB Press Release] [World Bank Press Release] [Publication: Enhancing the Climate Resilience of Africa’s Infrastructure: The Power and Water Sectors]