Thirteen Southern African countries have collaborated and submitted a regional funding proposal for a Climate Resilient Water Investment Programme(SADC AIP) to the Green Climate Fund.The GCF had initially provided an initial project preparation grant of US$1.5 million, through the GCF Project Preparation Facility (PPF), for the SADC AIP. The programme is implemented by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the SADC Secretariat, in collaboration with Global Water Partnership Southern Africa, and it aims to leverage at least USD 117 million. If approved, the programme will benefit over 140 million people in the SADC region.
The SADC-AIP will promote climate-resilient development through access to reliable climate information, hydrological services, impact-based multi-hazard early warning systems and investments in water security.
Submission of the funding proposal follows regional and in-country consultations conducted to collect and collate contributions from all thirteen countries. An inception workshop was held from 4-6 September 2024 in Midrand, South Africa. National workshops were then held from mid-October 2024 to early March 2025 across the thirteen Member States supported by the project; Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Following the finalisation of a draft proposal, SADC convened a final regional consultation which took place in Pretoria from 11 to 12 March 2025.
“The overall objective of the 2-day validation workshop was to provide an opportunity for presentation of the draft funding proposal for stakeholder input and align on the way forward for finalizing the funding proposal of the SADC Hydrological Cycle Observation System and Climate Resilient Water Investment Programme before submission to the GCF.
“The urgency of the SADC-AIP is underscored by the increasing frequency and severity of climate hazards, which threaten existing investments in water, energy, food security, human health, and socio-economic development. Many African countries suffer from inadequate access to functional climate information and early warning systems,” said Dr. Patrice Kabeya, Senior Programme Officer – Water at the SADC Secretariat.
The regional and national workshops provided stakeholders with an opportunity to input into the project design, ensure that national priorities are integrated into the SADC regional funding proposal, and unite behind a common vision on the funding proposal to be submitted to the Green Climate Fund. The funding proposal has since been finalised and submitted to the GCF.
SADC-AIP forms a part of the AIP, which was adopted by African Union Heads of State in February 2021. The AIP aims to mobilize an additional USD 30 billion annually by 2030 to close Africa’s water investment gap, estimated at USD 45-54 billion per year.
"The SADC-AIP marks a pivotal milestone for advancing sustainable, climate-resilient development across Southern Africa, laying the foundation for a more secure and prosperous future for the region," concluded Mr. Andrew Takawira, Interim Executive Secretary - Global Water Partnership Southern Africa.