Missed Opportunities? Financing Climate Action in Urban Ghana and Uganda

Abstract

In Africa, climate change integration in urban planning is often minimal and has consequences for urban climate finance. This chapter examines the 2014-2017 medium-term development plan (MTDP) of the Kumasi Metropolis and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) strategic plan to understand these consequences. Findings show a stronger climate change framing in the KCCA strategic plan than the KMA’s MTDP. However, climate finance arrangements were absent in both plans with no targeted climate finance sources for proposed interventions. There was also evidence of path dependency as some projects to tackle climate change impacts were not unique from traditional planning initiatives. Thus, poor climate framing and the absence of targeted climate finance arrangements have the potential to deprive these urban authorities of additional and alternative funds for climate action.