More Protection and Perspectives for Migrants

This article first appeared on Robert Bosch Stiftung’s website. MMC engages in content partnerships with several organizations, and cross-posting does not indicate an endorsement or agreement.

Cities in sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly faced with the challenge of protecting their inhabitants from the consequences of climate change. A fund supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung is helping them to do so. The first five cities to receive funding have now been selected.

The climate crisis is hitting cities in sub-Saharan Africa twice over: water shortages, increasing heat and rising sea levels are putting a strain on residents, especially in low-income neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are growing rapidly, however, because more and more people are moving from rural areas to urban centers in search of better living conditions – and often as a result of the climate crisis. This is why the Robert Bosch Stiftung, together with the Mayors Migration Council and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, launched a new chapter of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees focused on Inclusive Climate Action in 2021. With this fund, the partners will support African city governments in developing concrete projects of their own design that address the needs of migrants and displaced people affected by the climate crisis.

These African cities will receive funding

At the 2022 International Migration Review Forum in New York, Accra (Ghana), Arua (Uganda), Beira (Mozambique), Monrovia (Liberia), and Johannesburg (South Africa) were announced as the newest grantees of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees. In the city of Beira, unused assets are to be refurbished as temporary shelters where people can take shelter during storms and floods. In Arua the first municipal recycling center in the nation will create job opportunities for migrants, and environmental protection and sustainability are to be included in the curricula of schools and health centers. Monrovia is focusing on planting mangroves to protect against coastal erosion and flooding; Johannesburg will provide access to farmable city-owned land to enhance food security for migrants and internally displaced residents, expanding their city’s existing urban agriculture training programs.

The IKEA Foundation joined as a new supporter of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees. As a result, five more cities in sub-Saharan Africa will be added to the pipeline by the end of 2022 to support migrants affected by the climate crisis.