AfDB approves $6m grant to boost disaster risk management across Africa

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a significant $6 million grant to reinforce disaster preparedness and risk financing across the continent for the 2025–2026 period.

The funding, approved on October 29 and channeled through the Bank’s African Disaster Risk Financing Initiative (ADRiFi), is specifically intended to support the African Risk Capacity (ARC) in maintaining its core capacity-building and essential disaster risk financing services for regional member countries.

This project marks a critical step in helping African governments transition from slow, reactive disaster response to proactive preparedness. A key objective is to strengthen national institutions by enhancing their technical expertise and operational capacities in disaster risk management.

This will include crucial work in evidence-based risk assessment, establishing effective early warning systems, and providing targeted training for both policymakers and technical experts.

Furthermore, a core component of the grant will enhance countries’ ability to plan and allocate emergency resources more efficiently, supporting the development of stronger institutional frameworks necessary for coordinating rapid and effective responses to natural disasters.

The ARC will utilize the grant to broaden country participation in its sovereign insurance risk pool.

This involves increased engagement and the offering of new climate risk insurance products to its member states. Planned activities include high-level advocacy for the ratification of the ARC Treaty, finalizing work programmes with participating countries, and facilitating vital insurance premium support. Implementation will span all ARC member states, with a focus on regions most vulnerable to major climate events, including droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, and epidemics.

Beneficiaries will include policymakers and civil servants who will receive specialized assistance in risk quantification, contingency planning, women’s inclusion, and risk financing strategies.