From Ambition to Action: Strengthening Adaptation Integration Across Africa  

T he recently launched Resilient Economies Index provides a comprehensive assessment of climate, development, and sectoral policies across 54 African countries. Its findings reveal how well current policy frameworks are prepared to drive adaptation action on a continent facing some of the world’s most acute climate risks. The result is a clearer picture of where African countries are today— and where stronger alignment could accelerate resilience-building.

Mainstreaming Adaptation Remains the Missing Link
One of the clearest messages from the Index is that integrating adaptation into broader development planning remains a major gap. The “development integration” category scored the lowest on average, highlighting how adaptation is still too often treated as an isolated policy area rather than a core element of economic and social planning.

To build resilient economies, adaptation must be incorporated across all sectors—agriculture, water, infrastructure, health, education, and beyond. This reflects a growing understanding that resilience is not solely a climate issue; it is a whole-of-society priority essential to protecting growth, livelihoods, and well-being. Even the strongest performers still have ground to cover in embedding adaptation more deeply into their development agendas.

The Index underscores a clear opportunity: by breaking down silos between climate and development planning, African countries can advance toward more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive growth.

The Gap Between Recognition and Implementation
The Index also shows that weaker scores in the “development integration” category stem not from a lack of awareness, but from a lack of tangible implementation measures. Many national and sectoral policies acknowledge the importance of adaptation or outline broad priorities. What is often missing are the practical elements that turn priorities into action: timelines, responsible institutions, and detailed programs.

A similar pattern appears across climate-specific policies: priorities are described, but key projects, programs, or financial needs are not always identified. Moving from what needs to be done to how it will be done is essential for translating ambition into results.

Examples of Progress: Turning Plans into Action
Despite these challenges, there are encouraging examples of countries closing this gap. Malawi’s National Forest Landscape Restoration Strategy exemplifies good practice by committing to restoring 4.5 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. The strategy includes measurable milestones, defined leadership, flagship programs, and indicative costs. Egypt’s National Health Strategy also demonstrates effective integration, prioritizing climate-related health programs with trained personnel, designated implementing entities, and clear success indicators. 

In climate policy, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Uganda stand out for linking adaptation priorities to implementation pathways. Ethiopia’s NAP is accompanied by a detailed implementation plan that distinguishes short- and long-term actions. Cameroon conducted an assessment of potential funding sources, including UNEP and national budgets, and specified it for each project. Uganda’s sector-specific Health NAP sets project-level output indicators and annual targets through 2030—turning high-level ambition into measurable action. 
Promising Trends: Inclusiveness and Data Systems

The Index also highlights positive trends in inclusiveness and data systems across the continent. Vulnerable populations and marginalized groups are at the forefront of climate impacts, and ensuring their participation in shaping adaptation efforts is crucial to both equity and effectiveness. Africa’s climate plans stand out for their inclusiveness—engaging NGOs, vulnerable communities, and local actors not just in consultations but also in the design and delivery of actions that directly improve lives. 

This commitment is visible across multiple countries. For instance, Cameroon’s NAP engaged 625 participants through regional consultations involving ministries, research institutions, local authorities, traditional leaders, NGOs, and the private sector. Burundi’s updated NDC ensured that youth, local communities, and the Batwa—an indigenous group often excluded from decision-making—had a seat at the table. Zambia took a step further with its Climate Change Gender Action Plan (2018), embedding gender-responsive adaptation across sectors, from securing women’s land rights and access to technology to empowering them and building capacities for infrastructure planning and implementation. 

Another encouraging finding is the growing effort to strengthen climate data and observation systems. Robust, systematic climate data are essential for evidence-based policymaking and effective adaptation planning. Uganda and Benin demonstrate strong national climate data collection capacities, complemented by effective integration of regional datasets. Ghana’s approach is notably proactive. By acknowledging persistent data gaps and prioritizing the modernization and automation of its weather observation networks, the country is taking concrete steps to strengthen its systematic observation systems. 

A Continent Moving Forward
Taken together, the Index’s findings show an encouraging trajectory. Adaptation policymaking across Africa is becoming more inclusive, more evidence-based, and increasingly focused on implementation. The gap between ambition and action persists, but the examples emerging across multiple countries demonstrate that the shift toward concrete delivery is underway.

Strengthening policy frameworks, improving collaboration, and scaling proven approaches can help drive the next major leap in resilience. Strong policies are the foundation for both effective implementation and mobilizing adaptation finance.

As African countries continue to reinforce these frameworks, their partners have a critical opportunity—and responsibility—to support this momentum. By helping translate plans into practice, the global community can ensure that Africa’s policy ambition results in real, measurable resilience on the ground.

The ideas presented in this article aim to inspire adaptation action – they are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Global Center on Adaptation.

Related blog posts: