Africa spending more than its fair share for climate adaptation, a new study reveals

Abstract

The study is being implemented by two United Kingdom centres; Climate Scrutiny and Mokoro, to provide estimates of Africa’s public expenditure on adaptation as a proportion of the total cost for adaptation. It shows that public expenditure on adaptation by African countries constitutes 20 percent of their total needs presently. Some of the study’s key findings are that, African countries are already making a major contribution to adaptation that constitutes 20 percent of the total adaptation expenditure required to reduce potential economic impacts of climate change; that for Africa as a whole, the estimated adaptation gap is about 80 percent; and that the adaptation gap is greater than 90% in nine countries. Most of these countries face major exposure and sensitivity to climate change risks as well as fiscal challenges.