Driving country-led climate action in Africa
From 22 to 24 July 2025, over 60 representatives from 34 countries across least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) in Africa gathered in Saly, Senegal, for a landmark regional workshop organized by the Santiago Network Secretariat, with support from the Network’s co-host UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and hosted by the government of Senegal.
Held in a region already experiencing the realities of sea level rise, extreme weather and accelerating coastal erosion, the workshop brought the Santiago Network’s mission into sharp focus: delivering tailored, country-driven technical assistance to strengthen climate resilience, protect communities and accelerate action on loss and damage.
A pre-workshop survey underscored the urgency. Countries ranked meteorological and hydrological hazards, such as floods, droughts, heatwaves and extreme rainfall, among their top concerns. Sea level rise emerged as a particularly serious threat, especially for SIDS.
Opening the workshop, Colonel Pape Assane Ndour, First Technical Advisor to Senegal’s Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition, stressed its importance: “This workshop is of paramount importance, not only for our country, but for all LDCs and SIDS in Africa. It addresses the technical assistance our vulnerable countries urgently need to respond to the impacts of climate change.”
Co-Chair of the Santiago Network Advisory Board, Angela Rivera, emphasized the important role of developing countries: “Requests from your countries are not just welcomed; they are essential. They ensure that the support we provide is truly demand-driven and responsive to your realities.”
In a first for the Santiago Network, the three-day workshop included an interactive writeshop format designed to help participants move from priorities to tangible requests. Through facilitated sessions, peer exchange and group work, they identified and articulated pressing national needs, learnt about the process for requesting technical assistance and connected actions for building resilience to loss and damage to broader climate and development frameworks. By the end of the workshop, 23 countries, two-thirds of those represented at the workshop, had submitted initial draft requests to the Secretariat for feedback, an outcome that reflected both growing demand and readiness to act.
Participants shared powerful examples of how targeted, context-specific assistance can make a difference. During a dedicated session for peer exchange, Christopher Bartlett, Vanuatu’s national liaison to the Santiago Network Secretariat, described how the Secretariat helped translate high-level goals into a concrete, tailored plan involving local organizations and Indigenous communities. Titus Ng’andu of Zambia shared how his country is aligning planning and funding from national to local levels while strengthening loss and damage data systems. Hamidi Soulé of Comoros underscored the importance of national platforms for risk management and the need to address data gaps.
The urgency of this work was further highlighted during a field visit to Saly’s coastline. Participants saw first-hand the devastating impact of coastal erosion, with more than six kilometres of beach lost to the sea, damaging livelihoods and tourism. They also witnessed the success of local rehabilitation efforts that raised the sand level, restored the coastline and revitalised tourism.
To help participants understand the loss and damage architecture and broader financing landscape, the Secretariat of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) provided an introduction to their work and highlighted opportunities for complementarity and coherence with the Santiago Network’s technical assistance.
In closing, participants reflected on the value of the week — an opportunity to learn from peers and gain practical guidance on advancing their technical assistance requests. For many, the workshop delivered more than insights; it provided a concrete roadmap for working with the Secretariat and with other countries confronting similar challenges.
The Santiago Network Secretariat will continue to work closely with participating countries to refine and facilitate these requests, ensuring they can access the context-specific support needed to safeguard countries and communities on the frontlines of climate change.
The workshop reflected the shared capacity challenges across LDCs and SIDS in Africa, including gaps in data, financing access, national coordination and understanding of loss and damage concepts. It underscored what is possible when vulnerable countries lead and reaffirmed the Santiago Network’s essential role in delivering equitable, demand-driven support that turns priorities into action.
For a detailed look at the workshop, key takeaways and outcomes, read the full workshop report.