Infrastructure planning must include climate change considerations

8 December 2016

The Annual Meeting of the Project Preparation Facilities Network (PPFN) agreed on the importance of including climate change considerations in the earliest stages of the planning and design of infrastructure projects in Africa.

Meeting in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on 23 November 2016, members of the Network also adopted a range of new operating procedures and agreed to align their work more closely.

PPFN members received a briefing about the new Africa Climate Resilient Investment Facility (Afri-Res), one of the components of the World Bank Group’s $16 billion Africa Climate Business Plan that was presented at COP21 in Paris in December 2015. Members also heard about opportunities available for support services relating to integrating climate change considerations into infrastructure planning and design (ICCPD). The meeting commended the concept and PPFN members agreed to assess areas of potential collaboration with Afri-Res.

The meeting adopted a range of new operating procedures for the PPFN, particularly around information sharing & project collaboration, and governance & business modelling, which would serve to enhance co-financing and collaboration between PPFN members.

The PPFN is a network of funding facilities dedicated to sustainable infrastructure in Africa. Members advocate for more financial resources for infrastructure project preparation and are committed to work together through information sharing about projects, case studies and best practice in governance.

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is the current coordinator of the work of the PPFN, and is supported by the ICA Secretariat. For further information about the PPFN please contact the DBSA or the ICA.