The Mayors Migration Council, taking cognizance of the rapid pace at which climate crisis is fueling human mobility across cities, has given a grant of US$200,000.00 in the initial stage of the Global Cities Fund (GCF) for Migrants and Refugees: Inclusive Climate Action to each of five cities including Accra, Ghana; Arua, Uganda; Beira, Mozambique; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Monrovia, Liberia.
Under the funding mechanism, the Council says Monrovia will mitigate flooding and coastal erosion by planting mangrove trees, creating green spaces around the city and offering green job training opportunities to migrants and internally displaced youth in the process.
The Mayors Migration Council indicated that the measures championed by mayors include investments to better adapt in place and reduce displacement; approaches to facilitate the dignified movement of those who live in risk-prone areas; increasing access for newcomers to urban infrastructure and services regardless of migration status; and green and decent job creation programs for urban migrants and displaced people.
“While city governments take inclusive action to protect their residents from extreme heat, flooding, or landslides and to welcome people displaced by climate impacts, they often lack the financial resources to meet increasing demand on urban services and address their climate vulnerabilities,” MMC said in a press release announcing the grant.
The MMC announced the first five GCF:ICA grantees in May 2022 on the sidelines of the United Nations International Migration Review Forum.
Announced in partnership with the Robert Bosch Stiftung (RBSG) and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40 Cities) on the sidelines of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the MMC’s Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees: Inclusive Climate Action unlocks direct technical and financial resources to cities addressing the needs of migrant and displaced communities affected by the climate crisis.
The Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF) is the MMC’s response to the unmet needs of cities as they support migrants, refugees, and internally displaced people (IDPs) in the face of pressing challenges, from global pandemics to the climate crisis. By directly funding cities to implement inclusive programs of their own design, the GCF builds precedents of fiscal feasibility in city governments that are often disregarded by donors with low risk tolerance.
The MMC added that projects considered for this opportunity focused on inclusive climate action, and specifically on priority impact areas identified by the C40-MMC Action Agenda: urban Resilience: Increase the resilience of urban residents in the face of climate hazards and climate displacement;
Urban Inclusion: Ensure the protection and inclusion of people who move to cities, including those affected by disaster and climate displacement; Urban Transformation: Deliver a green and just transition in partnership with migrants and affected communities.
The group said it is proud to support the work of Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee “to provide income generating opportunities for migrant and internally displaced youth, who will be trained as mangrove tree stewards and mitigate flooding and coastal erosion in Monrovia.
In reaction to the announcement of the support, Mayor Koijee said “We are honored to be working with the Mayors Migration Council through its Global Cities Fund that will see the Monrovia City Government offering training opportunities to thousands to plant twenty thousand mangrove trees to mitigate flooding and coastal erosion!
Always excited when it comes to creating opportunities for others.”
