4 June 2008: The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World
Bank jointly organized a fourth regional consultation to discuss their
respective strategies on climate change. The 4 June 2008 consultation in Dakar,
Senegal, was the last in a series aimed at brainstorming and seeking ways to
strengthen collaboration with African institutions and development partners in
order to efficiently implement the strategies. Participants identified three
main challenges – energy security and access, cushioning the adverse effects of
climate change, and climate change risk management and adaptation.

They also indicated that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is
not a priority, given that relative to other regions of the world, Africa has a
low rate of greenhouse gas emissions. They agreed that energy security and long
term climate risk management and adaptation constitute strategic priorities
that need to be implemented in their respective countries. Participants called
on both institutions to: harmonize their strategies in order to make them
complementary; reflect national and sub-regional strategies in their climate
change strategies; actively promote the “Knowledge Bank” aspect; develop
and consider local knowledge; establish an early alert as well as a rain and
climate information system as provided for in the ClimDevAfrica programme,
jointly undertaken by the African Union, the Economic Commission for Africa and
the African Development Bank Group; and set up an innovative financial
mechanism for African countries. [AfDB
press release]