Aaron kaahYancho (PAMACC TEAM PARIS)
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
In seeking solutions on how to address the adaptation needs of the
most vulnerable communities in Africa on cop21, Civil Society Organizations in Africans
meeting under the coordination of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance PACJA
and its partners last evening agreed that better stakeholder engagement and
monitoring was needed in accessing and executing the Green Climate Funds GCF in Africa.
Acknowledging
that Africa was seeking urgent transformation solutions, the executive
secretary general of PACJA MithikaMwenda while warning that Africa should not
be short changed in climate funding reminded all that Africa needed adequate
and proper finance delivered schemes for our communities. He harped on the
existence of the GCF and called on the CSO’S and the GCF representatives to
ensure that the cash was not only available but accessible to the needy
communities. In questioning how the processes and monitoring would be managed
Mithika said a lot of questions still remain unanswered.“Financing is critical for
action and we want to know”He told the GCF representatives.
Reacting to the
worries of the Executive secretary general of PACJA, Clifford Polycarp -
Country Representative Dialogue manager of the Green Climate Fund GCF in the
Republic of Korea called on the CSO’s in Africa to create an institutional
mind-set for success. On closing the financial adaptation gap Clifford remarked
that his organization had pledged 10.8billion and 60% had been realised in
terms of resources from 36 countries but cried that more resources were yet to
be mobilised.“Mobilising resources is an effort yet to be achieved” he said.
Clifford went further to explain that the fund had a strategy of funding 50% of
its adaptation projects in the rural communities of Africa. He told the Pan
African Climate Justice Alliance that the credibility of accredited CSO’s and
community base organizations was solicited in the proper implementation of GCF
in Africa. “This will help to provide feedback on who was benefitting and the
impact in your communities” He observed.
Taking the cue,
Fiona Percy form CARE INTERNATIONAL
reflected on how adaptation finance couldhelp the people who are most
vulnerable in Africa. “Those who are most vulnerable have the least voice” she
said. Fiona told the CSOs that her organization had been running an adaptation
learning program for Africa aimed at increasing the capacities of vulnerable
people in Sun Sahara Africa to adapt to climate variabilities. Affirming that
vulnerabilities had left a lot disparity in Africa, Fiona challenged African
civil society organizations to have a voice and decisions over their own
destinies. “Keep an eye on what the funding is doing” She cautioned.
Citing the good
examples on some of the GCF projects in Africa WangareKirumba of the Kenyan
National Environment Authority (NEMA) examined how far Africa had gone in
converting these funds for its profits. “Only 20 institutions had benefitted
these funds over the last 6years on Africa” she lamented. Classifying this
number as minored Wangare hammered on the fact that there was need to mobilise
internally to ensure that climate finance mobilisation is an institutionally on
Africa.“A Stakeholder engagement is critical. The capacity to coordinate should
be figured out properly by CSO’s to move from consultation to engagement”
Wangare remarked. Calling on CSO’s to strategies on how to getting more resources into the accreditation process in
order to benefit these funds properly Wangare called for capacity building at
all levels to meets up with the uncertainties andfuture expectations.
Issues
pertaining to gender disparities and adaptation, stakeholder engagement and
credibility, grants, loans and capital contributions were also examined by the
panellists.
In closing the
financial needs of the vulnerable communities on adaptation the GCF will make
available 50billion dollars annually till 5050. In 2014 the Fund approved 20
projects in the world to the tune of 170 billion US dollars with 7 owned by
African entities. The challenged is now in the hands of the African CSO’s to
cease this opportunity and makes things better for the future according to
WangareKirumba of the Kenyan National Environment Authority. This session was
moderated by Sam Ogallah Samson PACJA programs manager.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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