The Adaptation Fund has approved nearly US$35 million in climate resilience funding for Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Rwanda, supporting programmes focused on early warning systems, water infrastructure, rangeland restoration and climate-smart agriculture.

The approvals were announced following the Fund’s 47th Board meeting held on 23 October 2026. They include a five-year, US$30 million regional programme covering the Mandera Triangle in the Horn of Africa and a separate US$4.97 million initiative aimed at strengthening agricultural resilience among smallholder farmers in Eastern Rwanda.

The allocations form part of US$98.8 million in new project approvals announced by the Adaptation Fund in October. The investments are intended to address immediate climate vulnerabilities while protecting agricultural production, water resources and livelihoods in communities increasingly affected by droughts and floods.

The largest allocation will benefit communities across Kenya’s Mandera County, Somalia’s Gedo Region, and Ethiopia’s Liben and Afder zones. Collectively known as the Mandera Triangle, the area experiences recurring droughts and floods that threaten pastoralist and agro-pastoralist livelihoods, intensify pressure on water supplies and disrupt the movement of people and livestock across national borders.

According to FurtherAfrica, the US$30 million programme will run for five years under the implementation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)’s climate adaptation centre and the three participating governments.

The initiative is expected to directly reach 500,000 people and indirectly benefit another 1.2 million through improved early warning systems and safer cross-border movement.

Planned interventions include rehabilitating degraded rangelands, improving water infrastructure and expanding income-generating opportunities for women and pastoralist communities. The programme will also strengthen collaboration between local communities and public institutions to ensure warnings about droughts, floods and other climate hazards translate into timely responses across the region.

Its cross-border approach addresses the interconnected nature of climate risks in the Horn of Africa, where environmental challenges extend beyond national boundaries. Pastoralist communities often depend on seasonal grazing areas and water sources shared across countries. Drought in one location can increase pressure on resources elsewhere, while flooding can interrupt transport networks, trade and livestock movement.

Consequently, adaptation efforts implemented independently by individual countries may struggle to address environmental and economic challenges affecting the wider region.

For Kenya, the investment is particularly relevant to Mandera County, where recurring water shortages and pressure on pastoralist livelihoods affect household earnings, livestock productivity and local markets. Improved water systems and restored rangelands could help limit losses during periods of climate stress. However, the sustainability of these investments will depend on infrastructure maintenance, fair access and effective management of shared resources.

IGAD will also play an important role in coordinating regional adaptation efforts. The organisation works across the Horn of Africa, where climate pressures intersect with displacement, food insecurity and cross-border economic activities.

Stronger early warning systems and cooperation among national authorities could improve preparedness for climate-related emergencies, helping governments respond before environmental shocks develop into wider humanitarian and economic crises.

Meanwhile, Rwanda has secured US$4.97 million for a separate four-year programme targeting at least 10,000 smallholder farmers in Kayonza, Gatsibo and Nyagatare districts.

The project will be implemented by Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, with support from UNDP. Farmer cooperatives and local authorities will also participate in adaptation planning and implementation.

The programme will improve farmers’ access to seasonal weather forecasts and encourage the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. Reliable climate information is expected to help farmers make better-informed decisions about planting schedules, crop management and water use amid changing rainfall patterns.

For smallholder households that depend heavily on agriculture for their income, timely and dependable weather information can influence harvest performance and household food security.

Agriculture remains a major source of employment and income across the region, but its dependence on rainfall exposes farmers to increasingly unpredictable weather conditions. Droughts and irregular rainfall can reduce agricultural yields, with consequences extending beyond individual farms to food prices, household purchasing power and the availability of agricultural products in domestic markets.

Investments in climate information, improved water management and more resilient farming systems are therefore important to agricultural production and wider economic stability.

The two approved programmes demonstrate different approaches to climate adaptation. While the Mandera Triangle initiative concentrates on shared ecosystems, water resources and cross-border pastoralist livelihoods, Rwanda’s allocation focuses on strengthening agricultural resilience at district and farm levels.

Both programmes incorporate local institutions and community participation, recognising the importance of aligning adaptation interventions with the needs and circumstances of the people expected to benefit from them.

However, securing funding does not automatically guarantee successful implementation. Achieving the intended outcomes will depend on timely resource disbursement, effective financial management, coordination among participating governments and development partners, procurement capacity and the continued maintenance of infrastructure beyond the funding period.

For the Mandera Triangle programme, cooperation among Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia will be particularly important because of differences in public institutions, security conditions and local resource-management arrangements.

Monitoring and evaluating the projects will also be necessary. Although the number of beneficiaries indicates their intended reach, long-term success will depend on whether water infrastructure remains operational, early warnings reach communities promptly, degraded rangelands recover and farmers adopt practices that strengthen their resilience.

Transparent reporting on expenditure, implementation milestones and how benefits are distributed will be important in determining whether the investments deliver lasting improvements.

The funding approvals come as African governments face increasing pressure to finance climate adaptation while managing debt obligations, infrastructure gaps and competing public expenditure demands.

International climate financing provides an important source of support for initiatives that may struggle to attract commercial investment, particularly projects whose benefits include reducing disaster-related losses, improving food security and protecting ecosystems rather than generating immediate financial returns.

However, the effectiveness of such financing ultimately depends on whether resources reach vulnerable communities and strengthen the institutions responsible for sustaining the investments.

Across the Horn of Africa, where droughts and floods affect livestock markets, agricultural production, access to water and regional mobility, the new programme positions climate resilience as part of a broader development and economic security agenda.

In Rwanda, the emphasis on smallholder farmers links climate adaptation directly to agricultural productivity and food system stability.

The nearly US$35 million approval therefore provides funding for two distinct but connected climate challenges. Its long-term impact will depend on how effectively the programmes strengthen the systems communities rely on to withstand climate shocks, including shared water resources, regional early warning networks and farm-level decisions that protect agricultural production and household incomes.

Africa Sustainability Matters