Climate resilience initiative in West Africa: Europe helps Africa!

Climate resilience initiative in West Africa: Europe helps Africa!

The continent of Africa is repeatedly confronted with the urgent challenges of climate change, yet it itself contributes less than 10% to global greenhouse gas emissions. But the consequences are noticeable: heat waves, droughts, floods and storms threaten people's safety and their food supply. These vulnerable conditions are in the context of increasing urbanization and population growth, which further increase the burden on agriculture. This problem is particularly noticeable in West Africa, where there are large gaps in knowledge about the specific effects of climate change. FONA reports that the data base in this region is comparatively thin, which makes adapting to climate change even more difficult.

Against this background, the CS4RRA initiative (Climate Services for Risk Reduction in West Africa) aims to strengthen climate resilience in West Africa. This initiative, which officially launches at the end of May 2025, is supported by several countries, including Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Germany, France, Ghana, Italy and Norway. Germany is the largest sponsor, providing over 50% of the funds. Projects funded under this initiative are intended to support climate-adapted planning through application-oriented climate services such as climate data, extreme weather forecasts and risk assessments.

Promoting research and cooperation

The CS4RRA initiative focuses on promoting transdisciplinary projects and participatory approaches. These projects are intended to incorporate local knowledge and promote citizen participation. Projects that use modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and earth observation are particularly desired. The maximum funding per project is two million euros, with a term of up to three years. A total of around 12 million euros is available for the CS4RRA measure, which benefits organizations and research institutions from 16 West African countries and the European funding countries.

An important step towards intensifying African-European cooperation is the commitment of the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space. The initiative focuses on the three pillars of research, innovation and capacity building to take into account the existing state of knowledge. These approaches are particularly important as climate challenges are accompanied by environmental degradation, rainfall fluctuations and extreme heat waves. The consequences of these developments vary depending on regional circumstances and the social, economic and political structure of the areas affected. NKS Bio-UMW highlights that strengthening climate resilience and reducing climate-related risks in West Africa is one of the most pressing challenges.

Important dates and contacts

Interested project partners should hurry, because the submission deadline for project outlines ends on September 11, 2025. A virtual information and partnering event will take place on June 24, 2025, where potential project partners can network and find out about funding opportunities.

Promoting local capacities and developing specific climate services are key to effective adaptation to the climate situation in the region. The focus on participatory approaches and modern technologies shows that it is not just about distributing money, but also about developing sustainable solutions and actively involving the affected communities in this process.