The Lake Victoria Basin sectoral council meeting in Kisumu discussed the proposed regional climate programme.
UNESCO will work with regional governments and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission to develop a four-year programme, subject to Adaptation Fund approval.
A proposed $30 million UNESCO climate plan will target Kenya and four other East African countries. The four-year initiative, worth about Sh3.87 billion, aims to protect shared ecosystems and strengthen disaster preparedness.
The programme will cover Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. South Sudan has also expressed interest in joining, UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa director Louise Haxthausen said.
Haxthausen outlined the proposal on Thursday at the 24th Ordinary Meeting of the Sectoral Council on the Lake Victoria Basin in Kisumu. UNESCO will develop it with the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and participating governments.
UNESCO climate plan awaits funding consideration
Participating countries must first refine and validate the proposal before submission to the Adaptation Fund for consideration. Funding approval therefore remains a necessary step before implementation.
The programme carries the title Transboundary Ecosystem-Based Climate Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in Eastern Africa Countries. Its four priorities cover climate information, ecosystem restoration, regional governance, and monitoring and knowledge-sharing.
Haxthausen said shared rivers, forests, lakes and landscapes require countries to coordinate their responses. She also stressed that neighbouring countries increasingly depend on one another for climate resilience.
Early warnings and ecosystem restoration
The first component will improve climate information systems and early warnings for multiple hazards. It will also help deliver climate information to communities at risk.
Meanwhile, the second component will support ecosystem restoration and nature-based approaches to reducing disaster risks. These include flood-management measures and planning that accounts for climate threats.
The proposal also seeks stronger policies, institutions and cross-border frameworks for adaptation and disaster-risk reduction. One option involves exploring UNESCO Transboundary Biosphere Reserve status for the Lake Victoria Basin.
Such a designation could support biodiversity conservation alongside sustainable economic activities. UNESCO also wants to work with regional partners on tourism that links heritage conservation with local opportunities.
Regional partners to refine proposal
The fourth component covers monitoring, evaluation, learning and knowledge management to support accountability and lasting results.
LVBC Executive Secretary Dr Masinde Bwire attended the meeting alongside regional representatives. The commission will help governments refine the proposal, incorporate South Sudan’s interest and identify links with existing regional initiatives.
Haxthausen said UNESCO had renewed its Adaptation Fund accreditation and would act as implementing agency. Meanwhile, the commission and participating states would handle execution, subject to the necessary approvals.
