Enhancing the Climate Resilience of Africa’s Infrastructure

1. Enhancing the Climate Resilience of Africa’s Infrastructure ACPC Role

2. Objectives The objective of this work is to strengthen the analytical base for investments in Africa’s infrastructure under a future uncertain climate. More specifically, the program seeks to: a) Evaluate a range of impacts of climate change on a subset of infrastructures (roads, hydro‐power and irrigation) over a range of climate scenarios; b) Develop and test a framework for investment decision-making that can be ‘robust’ under a wide range of climate outcomes; c) Formulate actionable recommendations for decision makers on how to enhance the climate resilience of infrastructure development.

3. Project locations

4. Research questions • Impacts: assuming no adaptation, what is the range of deviations (over different climate scenarios) that climate change would cause in terms of progress toward specified infrastructure deployment and service goals as derived from plausible infrastructure development targets • Adaptation: what is the cost of reducing, across as many climate scenarios as possible, the risk that investment in the infrastructure sectors of inquiry may be inadequate to the climate of the future (in terms of size, siting, or design)?

5. Approaches The approach proposed envisages two tracks of analysis: • under track 1, a policy-level analysis of impacts and adaptation options would be conducted, at a relatively coarser level of spatial resolution and largely using data readily available from global or regional sources. • Under track 2, the methodology developed to identify ‘robust’ adaptation options (i.e. option that would result in the infrastructure delivering the expected services under as many climate scenarios as possible) would be applied to the design of specific investments under preparation.

6. African Climate Policy Center’s role • The ACPC is playing key role in promoting and facilitating the project with relevant African stakeholders (e.g. African Union Commission, RECs, Power Pools, River Basin Organizations, etc) • ACPC can expand the established WB-ACPC portal. • The portal can serve as a knowledge platform to share information on African river basins and climate change impact on infrastructure.

7. African Climate Policy Center’s role ACPC assisted in: • reviewing the terms of references for consultants • Providing technical inputs in modelling the impact of climate change on infrastructure in Africa i.e. in refining the modeling approach, project area etc • ACPC assisted in conveying the first stakeholders workshop of the project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia • Together with the WB continue monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the progress of the project

8. African Climate Policy Center’s role • ACPC can be engaged in facilitating the preparation of training workshops for the climate modelling and climate change impact community in Africa • Leverage the dissemination pathways to broader stakeholders through its Climate for Development in Africa conferences. • The 2013 event is planned for October 29-31, and presentation of results are welcome • Distilling lessons and communication to Africa’s policy communities such as AUC, AMCOW, CEMA and RECs • As necessary, mobilize resources for enhancing the study components, implementation and stakeholder convening