Water & Climate Incubator

To meet the challenges of water and climate change, we need more ambitious and innovative projects. The Climate COPs highlighted the gap between funding agencies and project leaders.

The Water and Climate Project Incubator, launched in 2023, aims to :

• identify new climate change adaptation projects,
• incubate projects selected from among those identified,

through its promotion at physical and digital events and communication campaigns.

This initiative is an extension of the “100 Water and Climate Projects for Africa” announced in 2017 through a 5-year commitment announced by the President of the French Republic at the first edition of the “One Planet Summit”.

International institutions mobilised

As co-organisers of the “One Planet Summits” alongside the Presidency of the French Republic, the World Bank and the General Secretariat of the United Nations are contributing to its follow-up and providing their support. In particular, the World Bank has integrated its climate change resilience project in the cross-border Niger River basin into the initiative. Like the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM), all development banks (bilateral and multilateral) and specialised climate finance funds (Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, etc.) have a role to play in supporting the initiative. They can help identify projects, finance their incubation or fund their implementation.

INBO: providing support in putting together applications and seeking funding

Management of the initiative has been assigned to INBO as part of the Incubation Platform that it has been running since the 22nd United Nations Conference in 2016 (COP22).

In this capacity, INBO seeks out and selects relevant project proposals, and co-establishes and secures the budget required for incubation. This budget must be modest compared to the implementation budget, with a leverage effect of at least 1 to 100; on average, 60,000 euros for incubation for an implementation of 1 to 10 million euros). INBO provides technical support to project leaders to help them meet the requirements and procedures of climate finance donors.

Some examples of project categories:

Strengthening skills and knowledge through the development of:

• Measurement networks (e.g. meteorology, climatology, hydrology, quality, usage, environment and biodiversity),
• Water Information Systems (WIS),
• Platform for exchanges on the effects of climate change and water between decision-makers and research bodies in the environmental and human sciences (including economics),
• Ability to interpret data and translate it into appropriate policy responses.

Adapting basin planning and management to climate change:

• Studies of the impact of climate change at basin level,
• Studies of vulnerability to climate change at basin level,
• Development of strategies for adapting to climate change in river basins,
• Adoption of basin management plans and action programmes,
• Adoption of action and prevention plans for floods and droughts,
• Production and use of performance indicators for basin management and adaptation to climate change in the basins,
• Definition of strategies and action plans to control water demand (efficiency programmes, closed-circuit water recycling, water saving in buildings, etc.),
• Production of strategies and action plans to develop water supply (reuse of treated wastewater, rainwater harvesting, artificial recharge of aquifers, water retention measures).
• Development of water-related ecosystem services for adaptation to climate change through Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM).

Strengthening governance:

• Strengthening the individual capacities of the staff of basin organisations through the development of training centres and programmes (initial and ongoing) for climate change adaptation tools in the basins,
• Strengthening the institutional capacities of basin organisations for adaptation to climate change by developing the sharing of experience and good practice,
• Development of the integration of adaptation policies in the water sector and related sectors (agriculture, energy, transport, tourism, aquaculture, etc.) through coordination mechanisms (institutionalised or otherwise),
• Creation and strengthening of Basin Councils and Committees to develop stakeholder participation in basin management, vulnerability assessment, planning and implementation of adaptation measures.

Ensuring adequate funding:

• Development of sustainable financing mechanisms for the implementation of action plans and programmes,
• Implementation of the polluter pays/consumer pays principle,
• Drawing up investment programmes,
• Cost-effectiveness studies to help choose adaptation actions,
• Financial support provided by a donor for the above actions.