At the Second Youth Forum on Adaptation Finance in Africa (YOFAFA2024), Jean Marc Châtainier, the European Union Ambassador to Cameroon, delivered a compelling speech highlighting the dire consequences of climate change and the urgent need for adaptation financing. His remarks were a stark reminder of the harsh reality facing Cameroon, where devastating floods have affected over 500,000 people in the extreme north of the country.
Ambassador Châtainier emphasized the critical importance of climate adaptation, stating that Africa lacks the means of adaptation available to other continents. “We must work diligently to address this issue,” he asserted. “If we do nothing, the inevitable will occur: more floods, more droughts, and more people losing their homes and properties to these disasters.”
He underscored the necessity of securing adequate funding to support these adaptation efforts. “We need more funding, and we need access to the funding that already exists,” he said. The ambassador highlighted the absence of an accredited entity of the Green Climate Fund in Central Africa, a significant barrier to implementing vital climate adaptation programs.
Training the next generation is crucial, Châtainier stressed. “It is absolutely essential to train young people who can make funding requests, develop projects, and submit them,” he explained. “There is a greater need for funding, and we must build the capacity to make these requests.”
The ambassador’s speech at Yofafa 2024 serves as a powerful call to action. With the stakes higher than ever, the focus must be on mobilizing resources and empowering youth to lead the charge in climate adaptation efforts. The future of Cameroon—and indeed, the entire continent—depends on it.
