Economist, FAO
Climate Change and Resilience
Dr. Marco d’Errico

#2023 AGRODEP CONFERENCE
Facts and Figures in protracted crises countries
Protracted Crises:
 In 2021, the number of countries experiencing protracted crisis (countries with
five or more consecutive years of UN-coordinated appeals) increased to 36, from
34 countries in 2020. A further 20 countries were experiencing recurrent crisis,
with appeals in more than one consecutive prior year.
 Most people in need of humanitarian assistance live in countries experiencing
protracted crisis: the 36 countries experiencing protracted crisis in 2021
accounted for 74% (227.3 million) of total people in need.
 Of the 36 countries experiencing protracted crisis, 25 were classified as having
high or very high climate vulnerability
 17 are in Africa
(Development Initiatives, ACAPS, OCHA)

#2023 AGRODEP CONFERENCE
Climate Change and resilience
• Climate change is already affecting food systems, and it is expected to
accelerate hunger and poverty (FOFA, 2022)
• In 2021, weather extremes were the main drivers of acute food insecurity in eight
African countries, with 23.5 million people in crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or
above)
• The IPCC report on climate change 2022 states that increasing weather and
climate extreme events have already exposed millions of people to acute food
insecurity and reduced water security
• Climate change is having a significant impact on the African continent,
particularly in the form of increased temperatures, decreased rainfall, and more
frequent extreme weather events such as droughts and floods. These impacts are
exacerbating existing challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, and water
scarcity.
• Recent example: the cyclone Freddy which recently hit Malawi, Mozambique and
Madagascar

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National and continental agenda
• Many African countries have developed national strategies and
plans to address climate change and build resilience. For example,
the African Union's Agenda 2063 includes a focus on climate change
adaptation and mitigation, and the African Development Bank has
committed to investing $25 billion in climate action by 2025.
• The World Bank Group delivered a record $31.7 billion in fiscal year
2022 (FY22) to help countries address climate change. This is a 19%
increase from the $26.6 billion all-time high in financing reached in
the previous fiscal year.

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International Organizations
• International organizations and partnerships are also working to
support climate resilience in Africa. FAO’s SOFA 2021 focused on
making agri-food systems more resilient to shocks and stresses
• Achieving Agricultural transformation and sustainable development
is impossible without addressing fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV),
especially as two thirds of the extreme poor are projected to live in
such situations by 2030.

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Challenges to implementation
• Despite these efforts, there are still significant challenges to building
resilience to climate change in Africa. These include but are not
limited to:
• Access to financing and technology,
• Weak institutions and governance structures,
• Lack of evidence to inform policymaking.

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Integrated Approach
• There is growing recognition of the need for a more integrated
approach to climate and resilience assessment in Africa, one that
considers:
• The complex interactions between social, economic, and ecological systems.
Climate change and Resilience requires a comprehensive approach
• Resilience measurement: RIMA approach developed and disseminated by
FAO throughout the CAADP Biennial Review system. Agrifood System
Resilience Index developed by FAO. Agrifood value chain resilience analysis.
EPIC team.
• Networking on Resilience measurement: AGRODEP-RIMA Network on
resilience measurement in Africa launched in 2022. Plan to brings together
researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners across the
continent.
• FAO’s Strategy on Climate Change

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Concrete Actions
• Storing water will be vital to adapt to climate change.
• The world faces a water storage gap as demand for fresh water grows
and glaciers, snowpack, and wetlands decline.
• Adoption of CSA techniques to strengthen water retention capability
• Crop Diversification – evidence on its positive effect on resilience,
income, and labour.
• Forests play an important role in relation to climate resilience,
adaptation and mitigation, including serving as carbon sinks and
storage and housing biodiversity, as well as buffering risks caused by
climate change impacts (IPCC)

THANK YOU