Benin is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, ranking 155th out of 188 nations in 2018. Benin’s temperatures are expected to rise by 2.6°C to 3.27°C by the year 2100, and changes in rainfall patterns and intensity will further exacerbate droughts and floods in the country.
Benin has made significant efforts to address climate change impacts through the adoption of policies and the implementation of various projects. It has adopted a series of strategic documents that include the 2008 National Adaptation Programme of Action, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC, 2021), and the 2016-2025 Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient Development Strategy.
The Intra-ACP GCCA+ programme provided technical assistance and capacity building to the Ministry of the Living Environment and Sustainable Development to develop an action plan and improve national capacity to mobilise resources for the implementation of the Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient Development Strategy and the NDC.
As a result, three concept notes were developed and submitted to the Global Climate Fund (GFC) to obtain resources for the implementation of two climate change adaptation projects and one on climate change mitigation, as follows:
- Strengthening resilience to climate change in cattle farming in Benin (adaptation).
- Construction of two multi-purpose dams in SASSIRO and KPAMALANGOU and improvement of the resilience of communities in the Upper Ouémé watershed in Benin (adaptation).
- Strengthening sinks and reducing carbon emissions through the sustainable management of classified forest resources in the municipalities of Djougou, Copargo, Kouandé, Pehunco and Natitingou (mitigation).
The two climate change adaptation projects will contribute to achieve the strategy’s goal of strengthening the resilience of local communities and economic production systems, by increasing the availability of water resources, especially during dry periods, and adopting measures to enhance food security.
The climate change mitigation project will contribute to the strategy’s objective of sequestrating at least 163 million tonnes of CO2eq by 2030.
Courtesy of Intra ACPGCCA Plus
