Increasingly, countries are facing economic, social, and environmental risks and damages due to climate change. These risks and damages are becoming, for many countries, “macro-critical”, meaning that they will likely affect national and global fiscal balances, financial sector stability, trade flows, and sustainable development. The IMF considers issues “macro-critical” if they are crucial to the achievement of macroeconomic and financial stability.

Central ministries make important fiscal and financial policy decisions that fundamentally shape a country’s growth path. They allocate scarce budget resources across all sectors that need to strategically make climate-informed decisions, yet often do not have the support needed to do so. They are asking for better data, models, and skills to fulfill these critical functions.

Addressing this governmental capacity gap is urgent — and is necessary to systematically identify needed investments and to mobilize climate finance. The Resilience and Adaptation Mainstreaming Program (RAMP) in Kenya, and across the region, helps build the capacity of national governments of low- and middle-income countries to address the negative impacts of climate change. One unique feature of RAMP is that it works closely with local universities, like the University of Nairobi, as well as with governments. By building capacity in universities through improved climate-related curriculum, teacher training, and applied research — and involving university faculty in training government officials — the benefits of the program become more sustainable.

About Stories to Watch

The climate is changing and will continue to change even with intensive greenhouse and other harmful gas mitigation efforts. Climate change will undoubtedly continue to make headlines in 2023. Since 2003, WRI’s annual ‘Stories to Watch’ sheds light on the stories that will have the biggest impact on the world and its people. The 20th Annual Stories to Watch centers on one major question for this critical climate decade: Will we see more progress toward more sustainable and equitable development in 2023? Stories to Watch 2023 aims to answer this question by focusing on actions governments, businesses, institutions, and people must take to get the world on the right path.

Join us on Wednesday, February 8th to hear more about the Resilience and Adaptation Mainstreaming Program, its importance in systematically addressing the fiscal and economic impacts of climate change, and what else we’re looking out for in 2023.

Speakers:

  • Ani Dasgupta, President & CEO, WRI
  • Vice Chancellor Professor Kiama, University of Nairobi
  • Kiara Rielly, Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer, U.S. Embassy in Nairobi

Moderator:

  • Wanjira Mathai, Managing Director for Africa and Global Partnerships, World Resources Institute