Scoping the Cash and Climate Landscape in East Africa

The primary goal was to assess the needs, capacity, and suitability of the CashCap and Climate Action portfolios in providing quality support to stakeholders involved in preparedness and anticipatory action in response to climate-related crises. This was to be achieved at both the regional level in East Africa and the national level in Kenya, aligning with NORCAP’s 2022-2024 strategy.

The mission also aimed to identify gaps in capacity and needs in the implementation and coordination of anticipatory action in the region, as well as potential partnerships and opportunities for NORCAP support.

Key findings and recommendations include:

• The importance of climate prediction, particularly impact-based forecasting that informs the development of triggers and thresholds for both regional and country-based hazards.
• The potential for NORCAP, with its technical, neutral, and operational expertise, to play a crucial role in the East Africa region’s cash and anticipatory action/early action space at both systemic and operational levels. This would involve leveraging NORCAP’s climate action and cash and markets expertise, as well as its unique interagency mandate.
• Anticipatory action and early action are priorities at both regional and national levels in many countries in the East Africa region, including but not limited to Kenya. This requires a comprehensive approach involving multiple stakeholders (humanitarian agencies, climate services actors, national disaster and social protection actors, donors, other development partners, etc.) and sectors at regional, national, and local levels.
• There is a need for a combined effort from cash assistance and climate services for effective anticipatory action and early action in the region. This includes improved communication and coordination between the IGAD East Africa Anticipatory Action Working Group and the East Africa Regional Cash Working Group, as well as through existing national coordination platforms and/or mechanisms. Synergies include both systemic and operational aspects.