Transformative Approaches for Adaptation Planning in Africa: Experiences and Lessons
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elem, Brazil, 11 November 2025- The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), convened a high-level side event at COP30 focused on accelerating climate adaptation planning across Africa. The session brought together leaders from governments, research institutions, international organisations, and the private sector to exchange evidence-based lessons, address persistent policy and coordination gaps, and promote practical tools that are already strengthening resilience in African food systems.
Africa remains one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world, with agriculture and livestock systems absorbing a disproportionate share of climate shocks. The discussion underscored that effective adaptation planning is now a strategic necessity for safeguarding food security, protecting rural livelihoods, and ensuring that national development pathways remain viable in an era of increasing climate stress.
A key focus of the event was the growing collaboration between GCA and CGIAR—particularly ILRI and other centres—which is emerging as a critical bridge between frontier research and real-world implementation. This partnership is ensuring that innovations such as climate-smart livestock systems, anticipatory planning tools, digital advisory services, and climate-risk profiling are being deployed where they can generate the greatest impact for smallholder farmers and pastoral communities.
Opening the session, Dr. Oluyede Ajayi, Global Program Lead for Food Security and Rural Wellbeing at GCA, highlighted the urgent need to shift from planning to delivery: “Accelerating climate adaptation in Africa requires that we move beyond planning to tangible implementation. Through partnerships such as this, we can turn knowledge into practice and ensure that the most vulnerable communities are not left behind.”
Panelists emphasised that to sustain progress, adaptation planning must be systematically integrated into national development and sectoral plans, backed by resilient infrastructure investments, and supported by widespread adoption of climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land management, and renewable energy solutions. They also stressed the need to strengthen institutional capacity, improve coordination among ministries, and ensure that national plans are underpinned by credible climate-risk assessments and evidence-driven prioritisation.
The expert panel featured:
- Anju Sharma, Global Lead, LLA, GCA (Moderator)
- Dr. Kelvin Shikuku, Senior Scientist and Economist, ILRI
- Dr. Oluyede Ajayi, Global Program Lead – Food Security and Rural Wellbeing, GCA
- Kenneth Kasigila, Head of Policy Advisory & Climate Finance, CRDB Bank Plc, Tanzania
- Bernard Kimoro, Head of Climate Change and Livestock Sustainability Section, State Department for Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kenya
As COP30 seeks to accelerate global action on adaptation, the insights generated during this dialogue will directly inform upcoming work under the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) and related partnerships. In particular, the outcomes will guide efforts to scale the deployment of adaptation planning tools across ministries, improve cross-sectoral coordination, and support governments in translating planning frameworks into investment-ready programmes.
The legacy of this engagement is a clearer pathway toward a climate-resilient Africa—one where science, finance, and policy work in concert to deliver measurable improvements in resilience. GCA and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting African countries in turning plans into action and ensuring that adaptation is embedded at the heart of national development strategies.
