The world’s largest annual climate adaptation forum has ended in Lusaka, Zambia, with a clear warning: without urgent investment in resilience, communities across Africa and beyond will pay a much higher price in food shortages, health crises, and damaged infrastructure.
The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Expo 2025 brought together 400 participants from 80 countries, focusing on how governments can turn climate adaptation plans into bankable projects ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
Zambia’s Green Economy Minister, Mike Elton Mposha, stressed that adaptation must attract private sector capital:
“We must transform NAPs into investable and bankable plans attractive for investment. Everyone , including women, children, persons with disabilities, local communities, and businesses must be part of this process.”
For Zambia, the challenge is personal. The country’s 2023–2024 drought cut national crop yields by half and slashed hydroelectric power generation by more than 50%, underlining how water stress directly threatens food security, energy supply, and jobs.
UN Climate Change’s Director of Adaptation, Youssef Nassef, put it bluntly: “Adaptation isn’t a bill we can skip. If we don’t fund it, the poorest pay in lost harvests, poorer health, and sometimes with their lives.” He noted that $300 billion is needed annually for adaptation by 2030, money that governments will otherwise spend on rebuilding after disasters.
A standout feature of the Expo was the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help countries design smarter adaptation plans. For many participants, it was their first exposure to using AI for climate resilience. Demand was so high that an extra training session was added, showing how AI can be applied to water management, agriculture, and disaster response.
Beyond technology, Indigenous leaders emphasized that traditional practices remain critical. Fumukazi Zilanie Kamgundanga Gondwe, a Malawian traditional leader, reminded participants that seed sovereignty and forest protection are long-standing forms of climate resilience.
The Expo also highlighted practical solutions already working in communities:
- Water security through urban rainwater harvesting and river restoration.
- Food security with climate-smart farming that boosts yields without clearing more land.
- Livelihoods diversification through sustainable resource management.
- Resilient infrastructure including coastal protection built on nature-based solutions.
As attention now shifts to Climate Week in Addis Ababa this September and COP30 in Brazil next year, the message from Lusaka is clear: adaptation is no longer optional. Investing in resilience today could save lives, reduce future losses, and even open new opportunities for growth.
