The Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) has two new Ministerial Ambassadors committed to advocacy for increasing the finance available for local adaptation to climate change. Hon. Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation of Ghana and Hon. Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation in Jamaica, join colleagues from eight other nations, many of whom attended a recent event in Brussels, to forge alliances across LoCAL-implementing countries.

Some 10 ministers from least developed countries (LDCs), small islands developing states (SIDS) and African nations have volunteered as LoCAL Ministerial Ambassadors. Their aim is two-fold: to raise attention to the need for more climate finance and international action on local adaptation to climate change in the world’s most impacted countries and to highlight the potential of the LoCAL Facility as a mechanism for effective climate finance delivery for locally led adaptation.

“Climate change impacts continue to affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide particularly low-income people in vulnerable countries. I believe that in the spirit of South-South cooperation we can share learning and experience,” said Hon. Dr. Afriyie, speaking at the LoCAL ministerial meeting on 12th May 2022. “And, that we can urge increased use of LoCAL as a mechanism for increased climate finance delivery that meets the scale and speed needed for ensuring the well-being of our people,” he said.

Hon. Dr. Afriyie of Ghana and Hon. Samuda of Jamaica volunteered for their new role as LoCAL Ministerial Ambassadors at the LoCAL ministerial meeting, which takes place each year to raise action and forge alliances on issues related to adaptation to climate change. This year’s LoCAL ministerial meeting was attended by sixteen ministers, three deputy ministers and the Ambassadors of Bhutan and Cambodia to Belgium, who stepped in for their ministerial colleagues.

The LoCAL Ministerial Meeting followed the 9th Annual Local Board meeting, which took place on the 11th May bringing together some 100 representatives from LoCAL countries to agree priorities and budget for the coming year.

The LoCAL Facility is a community of some 32 countries using or designing their use of the LoCAL mechanism to channel finance to communities battling with the impacts of climate change. LoCAL countries span Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Caribbean. All members are highly impacted by the effects of climate change though as LDCs, developing or African nations, their low emissions base mean they have contributed little to global warming and its catastrophic impacts on the planet.

Hon. Matthew Samuda of Jamaica, the first Caribbean country to join the LoCAL community, said LoCAL offered an opportunity to implement systems for adaptation financing that ensure funds reach the people that need it – local communities.

“For obvious reasons, the Government of Jamaica considers adaptation a priority – our people are truly on the frontlines of a growing climate crisis. The LoCAL mechanism is indeed exciting for the opportunity it presents for vertical integration of adaptation at the local level,” said Hon. Samuda of Jamaica. “We believe that LoCAL will give us a boost in the right direction, [… ] to build simple systems for finance,” he added.

The Brussels meeting provided an opportunity for LoCAL countries to share experience and plan cooperation as they prepare for crucial meetings in the climate change calendar, including the Climate Change sessions slated for Bonn in Germany next month and COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022.

The LoCAL Facility was designed and is hosted by the UN Capital Development Fund and has grown from initial pilots in Bhutan and Cambodia in 2011, to a global climate financing mechanism that has to date mobilised over US $125 million for locally led adaptation.

“Women, children, elderly and vulnerable groups are especially affected by the impacts of climate change,” said Agnes Mary Chimbiri Molande, Co-chair of the LoCAL Board and global coordinator of the Bureau for the Least Developed Country Group and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations. “This should remind us that we need to be people-centred and that national ownership is key.”

Notes for media

There are 10 LoCAL Ministerial Ambassadors:

H.E. Mr. José Didier Tonato, Minister of Living Environment and Sustainable Development of Benin H.E. Dr. Maminata Traore Coulibaly, Minister of Environment, Energy, Water and Sanitation or Burkina Faso,
H.E. Dr. Say Samal, Minister for Environment of Cambodia
H.E. Mr. Lamin B. Dibba, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources of The Gambia, (Mr Dibba is due to handover his ministerial portfolio the week of 16 May 2022 following a cabinet reshuffle but has agreed to maintain his LoCAL ambassadorial role)
H.E. Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation of Ghana
H.E. Mr. Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation of Jamaica
H.E. Mr. Eisenhower Nduwa Mkaka, Minister for Natural ResourcesForestry and Climate Change of Malawi
H.E. Mr. Modibo Kone, Minister of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development of Mali,
H.E. Ms. Ivete Maibaze, Minister of Land and Environment of Mozambique,
H.E. Mrs. Garama Saratou Rabiou Inoussa, Minister of Environment and of Combating Desertification of Niger

The LoCAL Facility has two co-chairs:

Agnes Mary Chimbiri Molande, Co-chair of the LoCAL Board and global coordinator of the Bureau for the Least Developed Country Group and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations.

Madeleine Diouf Sarr, Co-chair of the LoCAL Board and Chair of the Least Developed Countries Group at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations

High-level participants to the LoCAL Ministerial Meeting included:

H.E. Mr. Shahab Uddin, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Bangladesh
H.E. Dr. Maminata Traore Coulibaly, Minister of Environment, Energy, Water and Sanitation of Burkina Faso (remote participation)
H.E. Mr. Miguel Mba Nzang, Delegate Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Environment of Equatorial Guinea
H.E. Mr. Lamin B. Dibba, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources of The Gambia
H.E. Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation of Ghana
H.E. Mr. Collins Ntim, Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development of Ghana
H.E. Mr. Viriato Luís Soares Cassama, Minister of Environment and Biodiversity of Guinea Bissau (remote participation)
H.E. Mr. Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation of Jamaica
H.E. Mr. Phouvong Luangxaysana, Vice Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Lao PDR
H.E. Mr. Mohapi Mohapinyane, Minister of Energy and Meteorology of Lesotho
H.E. Mr. Eisenhower Nduwa Mkaka, Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change of Malawi
H.E. Mr. Modibo Kone, Minister of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development of Mali (remote participation)
H.E. Mr. Fernando Bemane De Sousa, Vice Minister of Land and Environment of Mozambique
H.E. Mr. Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Minister of Forests and Environment of Nepal
H.E. Mrs. Garama Saratou Rabiou Inoussa, Minister of Environment and Fight against Desertification of Niger
H.E. Mr. Osvaldo António Cravid Viegas D`Abreu, Minister of Public Works, Infrastructures, Natural Resources and Environment of Sao Tome and Principe
H.E. Mr. Selemani Saidi Jafo, Minister of State, Vice president's Office (Union and Environment) of the United Republic of Tanzania
H.E. Ms. Aisha Sekindi, Minister of State for Water of Uganda
H.E. Mr. Raphael Magyezi, Minister for Local Government of Uganda (remote participation)

In addition, designated representatives attended from:

Mr. Martin Pépin Aina. Directeur Général de l’Environnement et du Climat, Ministère du Cadre de vie et du Développement Durable, Benin
H.E. Mr. Tshering Gyaltshen Penjor, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Bhutan in Belgium
H.E. Mr. Nong Sakal, Ambassador and Head of Mission of the Royal Embassy and Mission of Cambodia in Belgium
Mr. Mohamed Sanogo, National Climate Change Program Coordinator, Ministry of Environment and Development of Cote d’Ivoire
Ms. Raida El Elj, Directrice de la Coopération Multilatérale, Ministère de l’Environnement, Tunisia

For more information:

or click this link to connect with us

THANKS TO: