Exploring the complications of climate change funding in Sub-Saharan African countries

Abstract

Globally, climate change funding has become a focal point and debate among international organisations, private agencies, governments, and civil societies mainly because of its significant threats to social, economic, and the environment and the significant funds needed to adapt and mitigate its impacts. While substantial amounts of funds have been secured and distributed to governments, private organisations and institutions in the continent to mitigate and cope with the threats of climate variabilities, the outcomes have failed to meet the desired outcomes due to limited access to funding, lack of transparency in allocations and the failure of the funds to reach local communities where the impacts are significantly felt. Using a conventional approach of data collection tools predominantly of quantitative and qualitative methods and extensive literature materials, this paper explored the complexities and constraints of sourcing climate change funding and the mechanisms of distribution funds across the continent. The findings unearthed that climate funding lacks transparency and equitable distribution; furthermore, there are substantial bureaucratic processes, capacity constraints and immense conflicting priorities among countries on the continent. Our findings uncovered that addressing these anomalies will require innovative funding structures that catalyse technical assistance programmes to support the creation of new avenues for climate finance as well as reforming global financial institutions, emphasising debt reductions, freeing up additional funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and channelling private finance to both climate and sustainable development, particularly in the more vulnerable countries.