The Continental Policy on Climate-Resilient and Smart Infrastructure in Africa provides a strategic framework for addressing one of the continent’s most critical development challenges: building resilient, sustainable, and climate-smart infrastructure amid a rapidly changing climate. The Policy reflects the African Union’s commitment to promoting climate-resilient and smart infrastructure in support of sustainable, inclusive, and low-carbon development, while aligning with global climate commitments, including the Paris Agreement. The Policy responds to the growing climate risks and existing vulnerabilities affecting infrastructure across African Member States. Increasing damage and disruption from extreme weather events, particularly to energy, transport, water, and ICT infrastructure, undermine the reliability and efficiency of essential services and constrain inclusive economic growth. The Policy therefore promotes infrastructure planning, investment, and development that integrate climate resilience, sustainability, and low-carbon approaches to strengthen Africa’s capacity to achieve resilient and sustainable economic development. Its primary role is to encourage broad continental cooperation and the integration of sustainability into infrastructure planning, rather than directly enforcing or achieving immediate transformation in every country. It aims to offer a common pathway for developing infrastructure that can unlock social, economic, and environmental benefits while recognizing that MS may implement these principles according to their own priorities. The document addresses two complementary dimensions of sustainable infrastructure development (i) climate-resilient infrastructure, which focuses on adapting infrastructure to the impacts of climate change by protecting lives, minimizing economic losses, maintaining essential services during extreme weather events, and preserving ecosystems; and (ii) climate-smart infrastructure, which incorporates adaptation measures while placing greater emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable technologies, practices, and resource-efficient design. It promotes innovative solutions that improve efficiency, reduce waste, create economic opportunities through green jobs and investment, and advance social equity by ensuring that infrastructure benefits all groups, particularly vulnerable and marginalized communities. This framework enables Member States to develop climate-resilient and smart infrastructure suited to their national contexts while contributing to a coordinated continental response to shared climate and development challenges. At the continental level, the Africa Climate Resilient and Smart Infrastructure Policy Framework supports the vision of AU Agenda 2063, particularly its emphasis on transformative infrastructure to drive economic growth, regional integration, and sustainable development. By promoting climate-resilient and smart infrastructure, the framework contributes to improved connectivity, expanded access to clean energy, and sustainable urbanization across Africa. Resilient infrastructure is essential for maintaining critical services, including transport, energy, water, and ICT, in the face of climate-related shocks. The framework also supports cross-border infrastructure initiatives that integrate renewable energy and advanced technologies, strengthening intra-African trade and connectivity through projects such as high-speed rail networks and regional energy corridors. Overall, the framework provides an integrated approach to identifying climate risks, planning and implementing adaptation measures, incorporating resilience into infrastructure design and management, and monitoring performance to support continuous improvement. The Framework outlines five foundational policy intervention areas to support the development and implementation of climate-resilient and smart infrastructures for the energy, transport, water, and ICT sectors, ensuring the protection of people, nature, and prosperity under a changing climate. These policy pillars provide a strategic framework for MS governments, private-sector stakeholders, and communities to collaborate, innovate, and build a sustainable, resilient, and connected infrastructure future. The 5 areas are as follows (1) Inclusivity and empowerment, ensuring that vulnerable and underserved communities participate in decision-making and benefit equitably from infrastructure investments; (2) Policies, Regulations, and Standards, promoting harmonized rules, climate-resilient standards and the integration of smart technologies; (3) Governance, Coordination, Capacity Building, and Tools, strengthening institutional frameworks, stakeholder collaboration, knowledge sharing and technical capacities; (4) Project Planning, Development, and Delivery, ensuring that infrastructure is designed, constructed, operated and maintained in a way that incorporates climate risks, environmental sustainability and adaptability; (5) Climate Investments and Finance, emphasizing the mobilization of public and private funding, climate finance mechanisms, risk management instruments and investment frameworks needed to support resilient infrastructure projects.
2025-02-01