Mapping Report of Climate Financial Flows to the ECOWAS-CILSS Region

The Mapping Report of Climate Financial Flows to the ECOWAS-CILSS region provides an overview of funds mobilized between 2019 and 2022 to support climate action in West African countries. Approximately USD 3.9 billion was allocated to 180 projects, with 86% coming from multilateral sources such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The financing primarily targeted cross-cutting projects (36.4%), adaptation (35.8%), and mitigation (27.8%), with a strong focus on the agriculture, energy, and water sectors. Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso are among the main beneficiaries, while Sierra Leone remains underserved despite its high vulnerability.

The report highlights a significant gap between the needs expressed in countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the resources actually mobilized. It recommends strengthening national and regional systems for tracking financial flows, based on the requirements of the Paris Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework. The ECOWAS Regional Climate Strategy should play a central role in institutionalizing regular financial flow mapping and promoting peer-to-peer dialogue to improve the mobilization and effectiveness of climate financing.