GCA works with IMF to Strengthen The Gambia’s Climate Resilience
R
otterdam, the Netherlands, 30 June 2025 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) announced today its support to the International Monetary Fund’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement for The Gambia, approved in June 2025 for a total of US$63.55 million in concessional financing. This landmark credit line is designed to bolster The Gambia’s ability to build a more climate-resilient economy in macro-critical areas such as coastal erosion, flooding, and water scarcity—and to embed adaptation measures directly into the country’s economic and institutional framework .
The Gambia faces acute climate risks that threaten agriculture, infrastructure, and livelihoods, compounded by outdated policy and regulatory frameworks. For example, the national Water Bill has remained unchanged since 1979, and there are currently no regulations governing groundwater extraction. In close collaboration with the IMF and authorities, GCA has participated in technical preparatory meetings with key ministries, commissioned sector-specific diagnostics for transport, water, and agriculture and joined the final IMF staff mission to support the detailed design and negotiation of a robust package of reform measures to support the RSF arrangement. During the mission, GCA participated in meetings with key Gambian ministries, World Bank, the EU, and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
“Gambia is leading the way in making climate action part of everyday economic decisions,” said Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, President and CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation. “This new IMF RSF arrangement not only gives The Gambia the financial resources it needs but also sparks important changes. It will help the government plan its budget with climate in mind, improve how we collect and use weather and risk data, and set clear rules for financial institutions to factor in climate risks. Farmers will benefit from new insurance options, coastal communities will get better protection against sea-level rise and erosion, and water use will be managed more sustainably. The Gambia is turning its biggest vulnerabilities into strengths for the long haul.”
Building on this foundation, GCA will provide hands-on technical support during the implementation of selected reform measures, including drafting and validating policies for groundwater licensing and coastal resilience, integrating climate criteria into public financial management and establishing a climate risk data repository. These efforts will mainstream adaptation across macro-critical sectors, ensuring that climate resilience is embedded in national planning and that benefits are felt across communities and ecosystems.
Notes to Editors
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that promotes adaptation to the impacts of climate change. It works to climate-proof development by instigating policy reforms and influencing investments made by international financial institutions and the private sector. The goal is to bring climate adaptation to the forefront of the global fight against climate change and ensure that it remains prominent. Founded in 2018, GCA embodies innovation in its approach to climate adaptation as well as in its physical presence. It operates from the largest floating office in the world, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and is currently building a new headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. This will make GCA the first international organization to maintain dual headquarters in both the Global North and South—underscoring the equal partnership between both regions and recognizing that climate adaptation solutions must be co-designed and co-owned. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Beijing, China.
