AfDB 2013-2024 ClimDev Special Fund - AfDB Climdev AfDB 2013-2024 ClimDev Special Fund Climdev fund togehter with AU and UNECA Climdev fund togehter with AU and UNECA The ClimDev-Africa Special Fund (CDSF) is the investment instrument of the ClimDev-Africa Programme and supports the building of resilience to the impacts of climate change in Africa. Specifically, CDSF supports African institutions to implement activities in three result areas: 1) Widely available Climate information, packaging and dissemination; 2) Quality analysis for decision support and management practice; 3) Informed decision-making, awareness and advocacy. CDSF was at the onset of the programme considered "a flagship programme for Africa" within Climate and Environment due to the composition of the programme with UNECA(ACPC) on the policy level, the AUC (DREA) at the political level and AfDB (CDSF) as the financial arm of the programme.
Sida has been supporting the ClimDev Special Fund (CDSF, administered by AfDB) since its inception in 2013. Both allocations and disbursements from the fund have been slower than anticipated but now the fund is adequately staffed and its administration is well integrated with AfDB's overall work on climate change. CDSF is recognized as an important instrument for promoting climate services and innovative climate adaptation action across the continent. The fund and its staff are also instrumental in driving the climate change agenda within AfDB and using the Bank’s convening power and mandate to influence actors across the continent. As of November 2018, the funding provided to CDSF by Sida (75 MSEK) has been allocated and there is strong demand for additional for both 2018 and 2019. This demand has led AfDB to request additional short-term support from Sida to allow for continued project support to the end of 2019. The Swedish funding would be allocated according to the operational principles of CDSF and the rules and regulations of the Bank. In its request for additional funding from Sida the Bank outlines three areas where these funds will be invested:
· Enhance the capacity of river basin organizations to deliver climate, weather and water services· Develop climate information services with high-resolution data and deliver climate services in flood and drought prone ecosystems· Policy and partnerships for the delivery of climate information services linking climate centers with regional operations for disaster risk planning
These areas are a subset of the areas of interventions as outlined by the instrument establishing CDSF and are in line with the current strategy for Regional development cooperation – specifically results on and two of support area one. Increasing Sida’s support to CDSF and continuing to engage with AfDB on matters related to climate change is seen as an opportunity to capitalize on the long term support to ClimDev and benefit from the capacity that has been developed within the Bank for the administration of the fund.