The adverse impacts of climate change are a threat to the livelihoods of people and the steady development of almost all sectors of the economy of east African countries. Severe droughts, floods and extreme weather events associated with climatic variability are occurring with greater frequency and intensity potentially displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Adverse effects of climate change are threatening to undo decades of development efforts by East African Community (EAC) Partner States, causing food insecurity, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, water scarcity, conflicts and damage to infrastructure.

Working towards improved resilience and adaptive capacity, as well as mitigation of the region’s emissions, climate change plans and strategies, including NDCs, EAC Climate Change Policy and the EAC Climate Change Master Plan, have been developed. Wherein the EAC has identified and prioritized needs in Agriculture (crops, livestock and fisheries) and food security; water security; energy security; ecosystems services and biodiversity; tourism; infrastructure (buildings, roads, railways, waterways and airways); human health, sanitation and settlements; trade and industry; education, science and technology (Climate Change Master Plan, 2011 -2031).

The objective of the Inception Workshop on Needs-based Climate Finance for East Africa is to provide an opportunity to take stock of the state of climate finance in the region; elucidate common needs and initiate discussions around the development of an “Eastern African Climate Finance Strategy”, a pipeline of priority investment needs and how to mobilize support for such. Further, the workshop allows for exchange of knowledge and information among experts in the region.

Read more https://unfccc.int/event/technical-workshop-on-needs-based-climate-finance-for-east-africa