Remittances form the biggest financial flow into Africa and will continue to rise. Public climate adaptation financing has been inadequate and is not designed to reach vulnerable communities. Remittances have significant climate adaptation potential: they are direct, rapid, accessible to local communities and do not need to be paid back. While continuing to push for public financing, more work must be done to understand, mobilise and amplify the potential of remittances in bolstering climate resilience in Africa.

About the author

Aimée-Noël Mbiyozo is a senior research consultant at the Institute for Security Studies. She is a migration expert whose research covers a broad range of intersecting issues, including climate change, gender, refugee rights, violent extremism and citizenship.