Key Takeaways
- The African Development Fund approved a $14.64 million grant to support Project 2 of the Programme to Strengthen Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel (P2-P2RS).
- Funding is provided through the Climate Action Window, the climate-focused mechanism of the African Development Bank Group.
- The project will scale climate-smart villages, improve climate information systems, and expand access to resilient, high-yielding seed varieties.
- A regional integrated digital platform will enhance real-time climate data collection and loss and damage monitoring.
- The grant will support 30 municipalities and help establish 60 climate-smart villages across the Sahel.
African Development Fund's New Funding to Boost Climate Adaptation Across the Sahel
The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a $14.64 million grant to advance Project 2 of the Programme to Strengthen Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel (P2-P2RS). The decision was made on 21 November 2025 in Abidjan. The funding comes from the ADF’s Climate Action Window, a mechanism dedicated to supporting climate adaptation efforts in vulnerable countries.
The grant aims to strengthen the resilience of Sahelian communities facing increasingly severe climate shocks, including extreme heat, prolonged drought, and irregular rainfall patterns that undermine food security.
Scaling the Climate-Smart Villages Model
A central component of the project is the expansion of the climate-smart villages approach. This includes:
- Developing hydro-agricultural infrastructure
- Supporting climate-resilient farming practices
- Enhancing community capacity to adapt to extreme weather
The model integrates improved resource management, adaptive crop planning, and community-level technologies tailored to local environments.
Strengthening Regional Seed Systems
The new funding will reinforce the regional seed system, with activities designed to improve the availability and dissemination of resilient, high-yielding varieties across Sahelian countries. Key actions include:
- Updating the Regional Catalogue of Species and Varieties
- Developing a business-to-business networking portal for seed sector actors
- Strengthening seed multiplication capacity within national research systems and seed companies
The project will also prioritize capacity-building for women and youth, supporting their participation in climate-smart agriculture and livelihood diversification.
The African Development Fund: Improving Climate Data and Loss & Damage Monitoring
To enhance climate-risk management, the project will expand data collection and improve monitoring capabilities through:
- Strengthening observation networks for real-time climate data
- Establishing an integrated digital platform for data collection, management, and dissemination
- Developing a regional system to manage loss and damage data, including standardized reporting tools
- Creating a multi-scale digital platform for centralized monitoring across countries
These systems aim to support better decision-making at local, national, and regional levels.
Coverage Across 30 Municipalities and 60 Climate-Smart Villages
The Climate Action Window grant will support activities across 30 municipalities and contribute to the establishment of 60 climate-smart villages throughout the Sahel. Through these investments, the project aims to boost community resilience, strengthen food systems, and reduce vulnerability to climate shocks.
