The Green Climate Fund has approved over US$ 9 million for scaling up the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility in Benin for greater action on adaptation to the impacts of climate change by working with local governments and communities. The approval is a major advancement for the West African nation, which is one of the world’s most vulnerable to climate change, and recognition of the results delivered in Benin since LoCAL’s launch in the country in 2014.
GCF’s approval came on the 25th October, paving the way for scale up of LoCAL actions from the current nine communes to a total of 34 highly vulnerable communes across Benin. The expansion will take LoCAL results from a beneficiary base of 860,00 to a projected 2.7 million people.
“We welcome the approval of these funds for LoCAL scale up,” said LoCAL Global Facility Manager, Sophie De Coninck. “The Government of Benin worked hard to meet the accreditation criteria and make the necessary submission for accessing these GCF funds, which have the potential to transform the lives of men, women and children across the country.”
Benin is now one of four countries on the way to rolling out LoCAL at the national level, or in Phase III of LoCAL implementation, along with Bhutan, Cambodia and Mozambique. LoCAL first launched in Bhutan and Cambodia in 2011 and the two Asian nations served as the pilot ground for LoCAL design. The LoCAL standard is now being implemented or designed for implementation in over 35 countries across Africa, Asia the Caribbean and Pacific.
The US$ 9,387,720 of funds approved by GCF will be dispersed through the National Fund for Environment and Climate, or FNEC, which received GCF accreditation in 2019 with technical assistance from the LoCAL Facility.
“All initiatives in the field of climate change are most visible at the grassroots level – at the local government level,” said Appolinaire Gnanvi, Director General of FNEC speaking from his office in Cotonou last year.
“And that is why Benin has chosen this [LoCAL] approach and is implementing this approach with the United Nations team.” Adding that “with our application for accreditation to the Green Climate Fund, LoCAL really was our battle horse.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
