Green Climate Fund greenlights Sh6.5 billion project to strengthen climate resilience in Kenya
The FAO-led project will benefit 2.7 million people, half of whom are women, in Lake region
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved Ksh 6.5 billion (US$50 million) funding for a project aimed at bolstering climate resilience and promote sustainable development in Kenya .
The project Ksh 3.8 billion (US$29.2 million) GCF grant and Ksh 2.7 billion (US$20.8 million) in co-financing) will transform agricultural value chains in the Lake Region Economic Bloc, benefiting 2.7 million people, half of whom are women.
The densely populated region is highly dependent on agriculture, but climate change impacts such as increasing temperatures, unpredictable rainfall and floods threaten food security and livelihoods.
“The Kenyan government is strongly committed to addressing climate change impacts, implementing ambitious policies and measures to achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution goals as outlined in the Botton-Up-Economic Agenda (BETA),” National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said.
‘’The Kenyan government greatly appreciates FAO Kenya’s crucial support in building climate resilience within the agricultural sector through this GCF program and pledges its full support and commitment in its implementation,” he added.
The initiative, implemented in collaboration with the government, international cooperative development specialist Agriterra, and the government of Denmark, will promote climate-resilient and low-carbon practices in six value chains: dairy, poultry, coffee, tea, fruit trees, and African leafy vegetables.
The project will provide over 143,000 farmers (men and women) with training and support to adopt climate-smart technologies and practices, strengthening their resilience to climate change and increasing their household incomes.
By leveraging Agriterra’s extensive experience with cooperatives and working with the private sector including banks, the project will also improve access to markets and finance, promote sustainable land management practices across 30,000 hectares, and create up to 3,000 jobs.
This holistic approach aims to trigger a paradigm shift towards climate-resilient, low-carbon, and sustainable agriculture in the region.
CGF also approved a Ksh 10.9 billion (US$84 million) project to enhance the resilience of forests, contributing to energy security and supporting the livelihoods of 3.6 million people in Serbia, which represents over half of the country’s population.
This is Serbia’s first single-country GCF investment, which includes a Ksh 3.2 billion (US$25 million) GCF grant and Ksh 7.7 billion (US$59 million) in cofinancing, largely from the government of Serbia.
The initiatives led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) represent a major investment that will enhance vulnerable communities’ ability to adapt to climate change, improve livelihoods, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“This landmark decision underscores the strength of FAO’s partnership with GCF and our central role in accelerating countries’ access to climate finance,’’ said Kaveh Zahedi, Director of the FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, welcoming the news. “Together we can continue scaling up solutions to simultaneously transform agrifood systems and achieve global climate mitigation and adaptation goals”.
The announcements were made during the 41st meeting of the GCF Board held in Korea from 17–20 February.
