The East African Community (EAC) is advancing a coordinated 10-year Climate Change Strategy aimed at addressing rising climate risks, strengthening resilience, and supporting sustainable economic transformation across the region.
The initiative comes at a time when the impacts of climate change are increasingly evident across East Africa, placing significant pressure on economies, livelihoods, and national development priorities.
Climate change continues to impose a heavy economic burden on African countries, which lose between two and five per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually due to climate-related extremes, according to the World Meteorological Organisation’s State of the Climate in Africa 2023 report.In addition, up to 9 per cent of national budgets are redirected toward disaster response, limiting investment in long-term development.
In East Africa, these losses are projected to reach between 2 and 4 per cent of GDP annually by 2040 if urgent interventions are not implemented.The human toll is equally alarming. Prolonged drought affected more than 15 million people across the region in 2019, while floods in 2020 displaced over 300,000 people and disrupted agriculture, health systems, and critical infrastructure, especially in Uganda and South Sudan.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change estimates that about 4.7 million people across EAC Partner States are currently facing persistent climate-related crises, a number expected to rise following the inclusion of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia into the regional bloc.These risks are closely linked to the structure of the region’s economies, where more than half of the population depends on rain-fed agriculture and other climate-sensitive livelihoods.
Despite contributing less than 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the region remains highly vulnerable to climate variability. Rising temperatures are projected to reduce yields of key staple crops such as maize and beans by between 10 and 20 per cent by 2050, further threatening food security and incomes.
In response to these challenges, the EAC, with support from the German development agency GIZ and funding from the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), convened a four-day regional meeting in Arusha, bringing together Partner States and technical experts to align priorities and consolidate inputs for the Strategy.
The meeting marked a critical step toward building consensus on a unified regional approach to climate action.
Opening the meeting, Uganda’s Assistant Commissioner for Production and Infrastructure at the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, William Tayebwa, emphasised the importance of coordinated policies and strategic frameworks in addressing climate risks and strengthening regional resilience.
He noted that a harmonised approach would enable Partner States to respond more effectively to shared challenges and maximise the impact of interventions.
EAC Acting Director of Productive Sectors, Simon Kiarie, said the Strategy will operationalise the existing Climate Change Policy by translating its provisions into actionable programmes and investments.
He added that the Strategy is expected to improve access to climate finance by enabling Partner States to develop credible and bankable regional projects capable of attracting international funding and investment.Ms Susanne Wallenoeffer, Head of Project at GIZ EAC4Nature, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting the EAC in advancing regional climate action and integration, highlighting the importance of partnerships in driving meaningful and sustainable change.
The Strategy outlines a regional framework designed to strengthen resilience, accelerate low-carbon development, and safeguard ecosystems that support livelihoods across East Africa.
It places emphasis on enhancing early warning systems and adaptation measures, promoting a transition to a low-carbon and circular economy through renewable energy and efficiency, restoring ecosystems through trans-boundary approaches and natural capital accounting, and strengthening governance and institutional capacity to effectively manage climate risks.
The meeting also validated a regional report on engagement at COP30 and agreed on a common position for upcoming global climate negotiations, including the 64th sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, as well as COP31, scheduled to take place in Turkey.
The EAC Secretariat is expected to convene a regional validation meeting by August 2026 ahead of the formal adoption of the Climate Change Strategy, marking a significant milestone in the region’s collective effort to confront climate change and build a more resilient and sustainable future. URN