The Government of Botswana is seeking a P136 million (US$10 million) grant from the global Adaptation Fund to strengthen its national resilience to the escalating impacts of climate change.

The proposed project, titled “Enhancing Botswana’s Climate Resilience through Integrated Water, Energy and Food Security Management,” will be implemented by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with several key government ministries and international agencies.

According to the project proposal, the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security will take the lead in execution, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services; Ministry of Minerals and Energy; Ministry of Environment and Tourism; and the Ministry of Finance. International partners include the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

The project aims to address the vulnerabilities of rural communities that are increasingly affected by droughts. Component One of the project is aimed at strengthening the enabling environment to strengthen coordination in implementing and upscaling concrete adaptation actions promoting climate-resilient land and water resources management.

Component Two is aimed at building gender-responsive climate resilient systems through targeted WEFE security interventions in vulnerable rural communities.

Component Three is aimed at facilitating Climate-Resilient Financial Mechanisms for Vulnerable Communities while Component will address “Strengthening understanding of climate risks and the importance of a climate resilient.

The initial technical review raised several issues, such as the project’s benefits, its compliance with the Adaptation Fund and the project’s cost-effectiveness, as is discussed in the number of Clarification Requests (CRs) and Corrective Action Requests (CARs) raised in the review.

The second technical review raised several issues, such as the project’s compliance with the AF ESP, the lack of overlap with other projects, and the project’s cost-effectiveness, as is discussed in the number of Clarification Requests (CRs) and Corrective Action Requests (CARs) raised in the review.

The third technical review raises several issues, such as the project’s full cost of adaptation reasoning, the lack of overlap with other projects, and the lack of detail on the target districts, as is discussed in the number of Clarification Requests (CRs) and Corrective Action Requests (CARs) raised in the review.

Botswana, one of the most arid countries in Southern Africa, has been increasingly vulnerable to climate variability, with the agricultural sector—employing a significant portion of the population—bearing the brunt of weather shocks.

The Adaptation Fund, which finances projects and programmes in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, is expected to consider Botswana’s funding request later this year.