At a high‑level event in Dubai, AGN Chair Nana Dr. Antwi‑Boasiako Amoah welcomed the launch of the Building Climate Resilience with Africa’s Urban Poor (BCRUP) Regional Readiness Project, backed by an initial $7.6 million facility from the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The funding marks a concrete step toward linking diplomatic pledges with on‑the‑ground adaptation in ten pioneering African nations.
Dr. Amoah stressed that urban centres across the continent are facing a cocktail of climate hazards—flooding, heat waves, water stress and environmental degradation—that threaten livelihoods and economic productivity. “Across Africa, the urgency of climate action is increasingly measured by the safety and resilience of our cities and communities,” he said to ministers, international delegates and municipal leaders.
The GCF readiness facility is the first of a $10 billion, 10‑year implementation plan unveiled at COP28. It will strengthen national coordination, build local government planning capacity and prepare investment‑ready project pipelines. BCRUP has already mapped climate risks in over 60 vulnerable urban areas.
Governance for the project is multi‑institutional, championed by Kenya and hosted with support from Turkey’s COP31 Presidency, and coordinated by UN‑Habitat, UCLG Africa and national authorities. “The approval of the $7.6 million facility is a welcome milestone,” Dr. Amoah noted, adding that the fund will help develop climate‑resilient urban spatial plans and community adaptation plans.
Looking ahead, Dr. Amoah urged that finance reach the local level and that projects move from commitments to bankable, measurable outcomes. He said Africa will aim to scale the programme at COP32 in Addis Ababa, expanding reach to more cities across the continent.
