The European Union, the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the French Development Agency (AFD) joined Southern Mediterranean countries and partners in boosting access to climate finance at local government level.

Today, in the framework of COP27, the European Union, UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the French Development Agency (AFD) officially launched the “Advancing Climate Adaptation in the Southern Mediterranean” programme (ACA-MED). The programme aims to increase climate and environment resilience in the Southern Mediterranean countries.

Photo: Street in Medina in Sousse, Tunisia Photo: Romas 2021

As part of the efforts to increase their climate and environment resilience, seven Southern Mediterranean countries laid out today their plans to design and pilot the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) for increased access to climate finance and action on locally led adaptation to climate change.

Henrike Trautmann, Director for the MENA region and Türkiye in the Commission stated: “With the “Advancing Climate Adaptation in the Southern Mediterranean (ACA-MED)” programme, the EU, in partnership with the UNCDF and AFD, will deliver on our joint commitment to improve people’s lives in the face of the impacts of climate change in the EU’s Southern neighbourhood region. I am particularly pleased that we are promoting the green transition and increasing environmental and climate resilience of local economies and communities”.

“The launch of ACA-MED is a significant step forward in advancing national priorities on climate change across the Southern Mediterranean region,” said David Jackson, Director of Local Transformative Finance at UNCDF. “The ACA-MED mechanism will unlock the potential of local governments, delivering durable and locally led adaptation to the impacts of climate change that could benefit millions of people.”

“Urgent action is needed for the Mediterranean region. AFD Group and UNCDF-LoCAL are joining forces to support adaptation process at all scales and foster adaptation investments that are crucial for the Mediterranean region”, said Mathilde Bord-Laurans, Director of Climate and Nature Division at AFD.

Background

The “Advancing Climate Adaptation in the Southern Mediterranean” (ACA-MED) programme aims to increase climate and environmental resilience in the Southern Mediterranean countries, with a particular focus on supporting economies and communities at the local level. The programme has an estimated value of €16,6 million over three years.

The programme has two closely interrelated components: (1) focusing on interventions at the central level, promoting climate integration and planning across Ministries and preparing the grounds for large scale investments (implemented by AFD-AdaptAction) and (2) reinforcing the capacities of local authorities and increasing climate finance for adaptation at the local level (implemented by the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility, or LoCAL which is hosted by UNCDF).

Activities will be designed to advance national climate priorities, as identified in the countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans.

The Mediterranean region has been identified as a climate change hotspot, warming approximately 20% faster than the global average and causing a wide range of negative impacts on the environment, the availability of food and water, human health and security. In urban areas, climate change impacts are aggravated by high population density. In the Southern Mediterranean, 60% of the population already lived in urban areas in 2018, and continued urbanisation trends are expected to further exacerbate the climate crisis and put further pressure on natural resources, the environment and communities.

For more Information: www.afd.fr/en/adaptaction

For more information about LoCAL:

Thanks to the support of our partners: