Egypt’s Minister of Environment, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, met virtually with Amb. Seyni Nafo, Coordinator of the African Adaptation Initiative (AAI) and a Green Climate Fund (GCF) board member, to discuss accelerated implementation of the continent-wide adaptation agenda. The talks also included planning for a high-level event in Egypt to mark 10 years since the launch of the AAI by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in 2015.
Dr. Fouad emphasized that the African Adaptation Initiative is not merely a technical framework, but a continental milestone in climate unity—a rare moment where African nations collectively defined and mobilized around their adaptation needs. Despite receiving less international attention than the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative, she argued, the AAI addresses a more urgent, underfunded priority: adaptation finance.
Linking Adaptation with Food Security and Biodiversity
The minister spotlighted food security as a strategic entry point for integrating climate adaptation with biodiversity conservation and desertification control—especially in light of the recently adopted 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework. She noted the overlap with global food crises intensified by climate change and geopolitical instability, calling for sustainable agricultural practices as a path forward.
Dr. Fouad proposed replicating the successful risk-reduction financing models used in Egypt’s renewable energy sector to unlock private investment in food security and climate resilience. She cited the Benban solar park—Africa’s largest, built with $475 million in blended finance—as a model for how development partners can de-risk green investments for smallholders and private actors.
Egypt’s Climate Finance Infrastructure and Policy Tools
Egypt has been working to operationalize climate adaptation through policy, mapping, and financial infrastructure. Dr. Fouad referenced Egypt’s interactive climate risk atlas and its National Adaptation Plan, which identifies priority vulnerabilities, particularly in agriculture. She also highlighted the “Climate Finance Accelerator Project,” a collaboration with AFD and the GCF, aimed at training Egyptian banks to distinguish climate financing from traditional sustainability lending.
She praised the Central Bank of Egypt’s recent mandate requiring climate risk assessments for all funded projects and pointed to Egypt’s hosting of the African Center of Excellence for Adaptation and Resilience, established under NEPAD. The center focuses on agriculture and food security adaptation, positioning Egypt as a continental leader in climate finance and capacity building.
Dr. Fouad proposed launching a joint initiative with local banks and development partners to mitigate risk in agri-finance investments, and urged integrating AAI objectives into the agenda of the upcoming Arab Ministerial Council for Environmental Affairs this October.
Africa’s Climate Future: From Planning to Execution
Ambassador Nafo underscored the urgent need to translate adaptation strategies into bankable investments, a critical challenge for Africa’s climate resilience. He affirmed Egypt’s selection as host of the AAI’s 10-year anniversary celebration, citing its active leadership and delivery on adaptation finance.
Nafo stressed the centrality of food security—particularly for small and medium-sized farms—to the continent’s resilience strategy. He discussed early-stage programs in African states aimed at embedding climate risk assessment into bank lending, and identified Egypt as a priority country for implementing this model.
He also shared plans for a capacity-building program to train African institutions for GCF accreditation, aiming to streamline access to climate finance and improve private-sector engagement through technology transfer and innovation in adaptation solutions.
