ULAANBAATAR — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has called for stronger and more predictable financing to help drought-prone communities across the Horn of Africa build resilience against the growing impacts of climate change.
IGAD Deputy Executive Secretary H.E. Mohamed Abdi Ware, representing the IGAD Executive Secretary, participated in the official launch of the Drought Resilience Investment Fund (DRIF) on the margins of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The newly launched fund is designed to mobilize investment for drought resilience and support integrated restoration of land and water resources. It brings together governments, development finance institutions, multilateral development banks, investors, insurers, philanthropic organizations and private-sector partners.
The initiative comes as countries across the IGAD region continue to face severe droughts, water shortages, land degradation and increasingly unpredictable climate conditions. Communities across the Horn of Africa remain particularly vulnerable to prolonged dry periods and their effects on agriculture, livestock, food security and livelihoods.
IGAD emphasized that the region contributes relatively little to global greenhouse-gas emissions but continues to experience some of the most severe consequences of climate change. Against this backdrop, the organization stressed the importance of securing predictable, sustainable and long-term climate financing.
The DRIF is expected to help close financing gaps by encouraging public and private investment in projects designed to strengthen drought preparedness, restore degraded ecosystems and improve the sustainable management of land and water resources.
For IGAD member states, access to such financing could play an important role in strengthening climate resilience while supporting sustainable development and reducing the humanitarian and economic costs associated with recurring droughts.
The participation of IGAD at COP17 underscores the regional body’s efforts to ensure that the specific climate vulnerabilities of the Horn of Africa remain high on the international agenda.
“Rising With IGAD” remains a key message as the region seeks stronger partnerships and investment to build a more climate-resilient future under the principle of “One Region, One Future.”
