African CSO’s Challenged to Monitor Green Climate Funds in Africa

  Aaron kaahYancho (PAMACC TEAM PARIS)

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.

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