Global Center on Adaptation Supports Digital Technologies to Accelerate Climate Adaptation in the Zambezi River Basin
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otterdam, the Netherlands, 12 January 2023 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) today announced its collaboration with the African Development Bank on the design phase of the Programme for Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change Zambezi (PIDACC-ZM). The US$150 million project, which was recently approved by the Board of the African Development Bank, aims to enhance resilience and facilitate climate change adaptation across the Zambezi River Basin. The work was undertaken as part of the Climate-Smart Digital Technologies for Agriculture and Food Security Pillar of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP).
The overarching objective of PIDACC Zambezi is to build strong communities that are resilient to climatic and economic shocks in the Zambezi River Basin through promoting inclusive transformative investments, job-creation and ecosystem-based solutions.
GCA in collaboration with its main technical partner, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), provided the following support to the project:
- Identified climatic risks to major agricultural value chains and digital technologies that have the potential to accelerate climate adaptation in the Zambezi River Basin
- Prepared national profiles on digital adaptation in agriculture for the various countries of the Zambezi River Basin, a summary of the prevalent adaptation techniques among smallholder farmers, and the key institutional, policy and human capital challenges to digitization
- Actionable design and engagement opportunities, which will mainstream digital climate advisory services into the implementation of the PIDACC program
Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation, commenting on GCA’s contribution to the project said:
“As the impacts of climate change continue to intensify, communities along the Zambezi River Basin are increasingly at risk. GCA’s work on this project is critical as adaptation is necessary to avoid serious environmental, economic and social consequences for millions of people. The insights we have gained from this work will provide insights and lessons that could be deployed to address climate risks in other river basins around the continent.”
The Zambezi River Basin is home to about 40 million people who depend on the river for fish, drinking water, agricultural irrigation, electricity production, mining, and other uses. These competing uses are increasingly impacted by climate change. In recent years annual rainfall in the region has decreased considerably which has affected the annual flow levels of the Zambezi River. Temperatures are also predicted to rise by 5°C for some regions in the basin, thus increasing evaporation even further. Enhancing climate adaptation strategies for the people of the Zambezi River Basin is important to protect livelihoods – but the potential of digital technology to facilitate climate adaptation in the agricultural sector is not yet well understood.
Notes to Editors
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization which works as a solutions broker to accelerate action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sector, to ensure we learn from each other and work together for a climate-resilient future. Founded in 2018, GCA is hosted by the Netherlands, working from its headquarters in Rotterdam with a knowledge and research hub based in Groningen. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Dhaka, Bangladesh and Beijing, China.
