H.E MOSES VILAKATI

COMMISSIONER

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, BLUE ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

ON

Special Event Africa:

Investing in resilience for Africa: Tools, strategies and partnerships

               African Union Commission

4 JUNE 2025, 14:00 – 15:30

Geneva, Switzerland

Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen,

1. On behalf of the African Union Commission, I wish to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to our host, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), for convening this special event on Africa, dedicated to discussing issues around the improvement of infrastructure governance.

2. Indeed, Africa faces a significant infrastructure deficit exacerbated by urbanization and underinvestment in people, infrastructure and productivity. The continent currently invests only 4% of its GDP in infrastructure, compared with 14% in China.

3. As Climate change, unplanned land use, weak building standards, and environmental degradation amplify infrastructure vulnerability and translate into more frequent and intense disasters, investment in adaptation and resilience becomes a top priority for most Africa Member States.

4. Equally, as resources become scarce, Member States must ensure that investments in building resilience also contribute to their broader growth objectives and strengthen their development strategies and economic policies.

5. However, as decision-makers, we are under pressure to make strategic infrastructure investments under climatic uncertainty. While governments are responding with investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, the increasingly complex and unpredictable dynamics of the Anthropocene demand attention to the broader paradigm of resilience, which requires decision-makers to situate investments in the dynamics of complex social-ecological systems.

6. Reducing damage to critical infrastructure and basic services is a key target of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (Target D) in line with the 2030 agenda.

7. SDG9 requires that by 2030 infrastructure is developed and upgraded in a way that renders it reliable, sustainable and resilient. The Paris Agreement and the New Urban Agenda both recognize the role of infrastructure in securing a safe, resilient and sustainable living environment.

8. Just last week in Lusaka, we were talking about a new Water Vision and Policy for Africa that will accompany the Africa’s Agenda 2063 and infrastructure and investments were cited as key, because without water there is no attainment of development.

9. The African Green Recovery Action Plan has one of its pillars on resilient cities, a clear pathway for building back better after COVID-19.

10. The African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022-2032) again advocates for resilient infrastructure.

11. Let me submit to you that for all levels of government, the greatest challenge to becoming more resilient is making the investments needed in resilience planning, infrastructure upgrades, and other projects.

12. In other words, to reap the dividend of their investments, Member States should focus on a few priorities such as disaster prevention, preparedness and resilience that yield tangible economic and social returns.

For instance, in countries such as Japan, many lives are saved each year by high seismic standards throughout its infrastructure, and multi-hazard early warning systems.

13. The question we must answer is where will the money come from in the changing global financial landscape?

14. There is no panacea, the funds will need to come from multiple sources targeting climate finance, innovative finance such as green and blue bonds, blended finance and development finance and several other avenues.

15. We also need to put the Loss and Damage Fund to test after a protracted negotiation – let there be accountability for the loss suffered especially by vulnerable communities.

16. There is also need to reform the financial architecture, a call that Africa has been echoing for years as some of the MDBs do not respond to the changing needs.

17. The private sector needs to take advantage of this opportunity and Africa is now fertile land for investments – governments are ready to provide an enabling or investor friendly environment.

18. The Windhoek Declaration, which is the key outcome of the Africa Regional Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction of 2024 emphasizes resilient critical infrastructure (transport, energy, water, telecommunications) for economic stability.
19. The recently adopted African Urban Resilience Programme (AURP) is aligned with G20 and focuses on risk-informed urban development.

20. The AU's specialized risk finance agency, the Africa Risk Capacity (ARC) offers vital pre- and post-disaster support through training, risk financing, and contingency planning.

21. Therefore, we do not lack options but rather actions – let us join hands with our partners and make a difference for humanity.

Thank you for your kind attention.