Climate Adaptation Strategy for CEBEVIRHA’s 2025-2035 Strategic Action Plan
Context
The countries of the Communauté Economique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale (CEMAC)—comprising Cameroon, Congo, Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Chad—are located on the fringes of the Sahara Desert, commonly referred to as the Sahelian region. Severely impacted by increased drought, desertification, floods from erratic rainfall, and a projected shortening of the rainy season, these countries are highly vulnerable to climate change, with Chad ranked the most vulnerable in the world.
The Commission Economique du Bétail, de la Viande et des Ressources Halieutiques (CEBEVIRHA) is the executive agency of CEMAC, responsible for implementing the Community’s livestock, fisheries, and aquaculture policy. Its mission is to contribute to the sustainable, harmonized, and balanced development of the livestock, animal industries, fisheries, and aquaculture sectors, as well as to increase trade with a view to enabling member states to optimize production necessary to achieve food security and reduce poverty. CEMAC considers agriculture (including livestock, fishing, hunting, and forestry) to be one of the engines of economic growth, essential to poverty alleviation.
In response to the threat of climate change, CEMAC initiated an emergency recovery plan to support member states through the institution’s 2025-2035 Strategic Action Plan, which supersedes the expired 2015-2025 Strategic Plan. CEBEVIRHA plans to develop food systems that are more resilient to climate shocks. This new strategic tool will be developed in line with current challenges, requirements, and opportunities, including: (i) the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals; (ii) the 2063 Agenda of the African Union; (iii) requirements of the green and blue economies in the global ecological transition process; (iv) UN framework conventions on climate change; (v) CEMAC’s import-substitution strategy; and (vi) implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The actions developed within this Strategic Action Plan will be fully aligned with the Paris Agreements in climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience.
Goal
To support the implementation of climate change adaptation actions within CEMAC member states by finalising the 2025-2035 Strategic Action Plan, achieved through climate-responsive operational planning and resource mobilisation strategies.
CAA Technical Assistance
The technical assistance addresses barriers to climate-resilient agricultural systems through integrated strategies aligned with climate adaptation objectives.
The technical assistance will deliver:
- A review report of CEMAC’s 2025-2035 Strategic Action Plan to ensure alignment with climate change adaptation objectives.
- An operational plan for the implementation of CEMAC’s 2025-2035 Strategy, ensuring climate change and gender issues are captured.
- A resource mobilization plan for implementing the Strategic Action Plan 2025-2035 for CEMAC countries with clear targets on financial and development partners.
- A communication plan that is consistent among member countries (Cameroon, Congo, Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Chad) to report on the progress of expected adaptation benefits.
- Documentation from a validation meeting of the products with CEBEVIRHA, including stakeholder feedback and final endorsements.
