United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and government begin design of Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) in Madagascar

Absolute poverty levels in the world’s fourth largest island are rising and some 1.6 million people of the island’s population of 25.6 million are in need of urgent assistance and food.

 

Adaptation to the impacts of climate change has developed into a humanitarian crisis in Madagascar, as changing rainfall patterns and an increased number of cyclones have seen lush greenery replaced by red deserts. In a bid to find durable adaptation solutions, UN Capital Development Fund is working with the Government of Madagascar to design implementation of the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility and improve resilience of the population to climate shocks.

Absolute poverty levels in the world’s fourth largest island are rising and some 1.6 million people of the island’s population of 25.6 million are in need of urgent assistance and food, according to the World Food Programme. Following meetings in the capital Antananarivo in January, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Marie Orlea Vina, and the Minister of Interior and Decentralization Justin Tokely, agreed with UNCDF representatives to press ahead and complete design work on LoCAL before the end of this year.

“The ministers asked UNCDF to design the LoCAL approach without delay, timetabling a final report on how we can implement the LoCAL mechanism in-country and drive action on adaptation that meets community needs before the end of this year,” said Ronan Pecheur (right), UNCDF Programme Officer for LoCAL.

LoCAL is an internationally recognised and standardised approach to climate finance delivery for action and results at the local level, certified by the International Standard Organization, ISO 14093:2022. The LoCAL Facility provides a country-owned mechanism for channelling climate finance to local government authorities for locally led adaptation and is presently being implemented or designed for implementation in 34 countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Pacific.

January’s institutional technical and financial, feasibility study follows a scoping analysis undertaken in 2022 by the global management team of UNCDF LoCAL.

Madagascar is currently engaged in a process of decentralization, driven by the ministry of interior and decentralization and it is expected that LoCAL will bring additional solutions for local governments authorities to access to finance, capacity building and technical expertise to respond and to adapt to climate change at the local level.

In meetings, Ms Vina stressed the recurring needs and challenges of cyclones, hurricanes and droughts local governments have to face and suggested integrating the LoCAL mechanism into the strategic lines of the ministry of the environment and sustainability to create a single climate financing mechanism for the country.

Cassien Tribunal Aungane, Editor