SUNCASA at the Africa Climate Summit

The second edition of the Africa Climate Summit will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from September 8 to 10, 2025. Under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa's Resilient and Green Development,” the flagship gathering will bring together 45 heads of state and government and more than 25,000 delegates from the private sector, civil society, academia, youth, and women’s organizations.

Discussions will focus on

• nature-based solutions (NbS) and technologies for climate change adaptation and sustainable development;
• Africa’s climate risks and opportunities for scalable responses;
• climate finance pathways, shifting from international aid to investment in local innovation and African-led solutions.

The SUNCASA project (Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa) will be featured across panels and side events on climate finance, green infrastructure, and gender equality and social inclusion. Representatives from the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the World Resources Institute, and local partners in Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), Kigali (Rwanda), and Johannesburg (South Africa) will highlight the following:

• progress achieved in implementing NbS;
• the economic benefits of NbS investments projected through 2050;

• how SUNCASA is partnering with local communities to challenge gender-biased social norms and foster the meaningful participation of women, girls, and underrepresented groups in NbS and climate adaptation governance.

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Side Events Featuring SUNCASA

Harnessing Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Resilience: Data, finance, and community-led action

• Date: September 8, 2025
• Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
• Venue: AICC – Room AP 2
• Co-organizers: World Resources Institute, World Bank, African Development Bank, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Resilient Cities Network

As African cities confront rising climate risks, NbS offer powerful tools to build resilience—if they can be scaled effectively. This session will showcase how data, finance, and community leadership are unlocking NbS at scale. Examples will include the SUNCASA project in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and South Africa, as well as urban NbS initiatives in Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan, and Somalia. Speakers will highlight how climate data and technology are guiding NbS planning, forecasting climate impacts, and demonstrating results over time.

Greening African Cities: How nature-based solutions can help build just, equitable, climate resilient communities

• Date: September 9, 2025
• Time: 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
• Venue: WRI Pavilion

While NbS provide cities with multiple benefits, their integration into urban planning requires careful, inclusive approaches to avoid reinforcing existing inequalities. Drawing from SUNCASA's implementation in Dire Dawa, Kigali, and Johannesburg, this session will highlight how gender-responsive NbS are reducing flood risks, biodiversity loss, and urban heat while also strengthening community cohesion between men and women, and across generations.