Despite their key role in combating the effects of climate change, local authorities still struggle to access available funding. To overcome these obstacles, the Ministry of Urban Planning, Local Authorities and Territorial Development, through the National Local Development Program (PNDL), with the support of the African Development Bank (AfDB), conducted a pilot project aimed at strengthening their capacities and facilitating their direct access to climate finance.

This is how the PNDL organized a national workshop to share the results of the project entitled "Removing obstacles hindering local authorities' access to climate finance". Funded by the AfDB through the African Climate Change Fund (ACCF), this project aimed to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to mobilize available resources to combat the adverse effects of climate change.

Representing the Minister of Urban Planning, Local Authorities and Territorial Development, Pape Yoro Babou welcomed the AfDB's commitment to supporting Senegal towards sustainable and resilient development. "This meeting marks the presentation of results and the official closure of a crucial pilot project for local authorities' access to climate finance," he stated.

Mr. Babou reiterated that climate change is currently "the greatest challenge facing humanity," emphasizing that Senegal took early action through the implementation of appropriate policies and strategies. As early as the late 1990s, the country developed its national strategy for implementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, followed by the National Adaptation Action Plan (NAPA) and several national communications and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

These various instruments, he explained, reflect Senegal's commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and promoting low-carbon development. At the territorial level, several initiatives have also emerged, notably the integrated territorial climate plans (PCTI) of Fatick, the former Ferlo region, and Dakar.

Under the leadership of President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, Senegal has adopted a national transformation agenda aimed at achieving sovereign, equitable, and prosperous development. This program seeks to reduce territorial inequalities, strengthen social inclusion, and leverage local potential. Within this framework, integrating climate change considerations into local planning has become an essential requirement.

The PNDL project, implemented in partnership with the Ecological Monitoring Center (CSE), has helped to overcome several institutional and technical obstacles hindering local authorities' direct access to climate funds. Thanks to capacity-building sessions organized by the CSE, local stakeholders have gained a better understanding of the procedures, modalities, and opportunities offered by climate finance.

A climate finance support unit has also been set up, equipped with practical tools such as a help desk and guides to support communities in formulating bankable projects.

According to Mr. Babou, "the ambition is to position local authorities at the heart of climate action, by supporting them in the development and implementation of transformative projects."

Finally, the minister's representative invited participants to formulate recommendations for strengthening institutional support and climate governance at the local level. He commended the fruitful collaboration between the PNDL, the CSE, the Ministry of the Environment, and local authorities, while reaffirming his department's commitment to consolidating the project's achievements.