Africa faces a significant shortfall in climate finance, with the continent requiring $310-365 billion annually for adaptation by 2035. Despite being a low contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, Africa is already experiencing severe climate impacts, including droughts, floods, and food insecurity. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that current international public adaptation finance is only $26 billion, leaving a substantial funding gap. Remittances, which are private family resources sent by migrants, can help bridge this gap.
In 2025, migrants sent $728.6 billion to low- and middle-income countries, with Africa receiving $124.2 billion. A significant portion of these remittances, around $233 billion, reached rural areas. Remittances are not limited to cash; migrants also send food and other goods. These resources are used by households to buy food, meet medical and education costs, and respond to emergencies. This makes remittances particularly relevant in the context of climate change, as they can help households recover from climate-related shocks.
Research has shown that remittances can have a positive impact on household food security and climate resilience. A study in Burkina Faso found that remittances improved household food security and mitigated some negative effects associated with climate variability. However, another study in Somalia found that remittances declined following climate shocks, highlighting the complexity of the relationship between remittances and climate resilience. Therefore, it is essential to understand the context in which remittances are sent and received.
While remittances can provide emergency relief, they do not necessarily build climate resilience. Adapting to climate change requires investments in water infrastructure, drought-resilient agriculture, insurance, and livelihood diversification. The International Fund for Agricultural Development and the European Union have launched initiatives, such as ResilientRemit, to link remittances and diaspora investment with savings, credit, insurance, and climate resilience. However, it is crucial to recognize that remittances are private resources and should not be treated as substitutes for public climate finance.
A remittance-aware climate policy would recognize the role of remittances in responding to climate risk without shifting responsibility for adaptation onto migrants. To achieve this, governments can take several steps. Firstly, reducing the costs associated with sending remittances is essential, as sub-Saharan Africa is currently the world's most expensive region for receiving remittances. The UN's Sustainable Development Goals aim to limit these costs to 3% by 2030.
Governments also need better information about which climate-vulnerable communities depend on migrant connections and how transfers change during shocks. Social protection policies should complement these flows rather than assume migrants can continuously meet growing household needs. Public finance can also complement collective remittances by matching resources that migrant groups voluntarily pool for community investments in water, climate-resilient agriculture, and other adaptation priorities.
Ultimately, recognizing the role of remittances in climate adaptation requires a nuanced approach that balances the needs of households, governments, and international organizations. By developing policy that incorporates remittances into climate response, governments and international institutions can help build climate resilience in African countries. This approach can also help address the funding gap for climate adaptation and support sustainable development in the region.
Key points
- Remittances can provide households with resources to respond to climate-related shocks.
- A remittance-aware climate policy would recognize the role of remittances in responding to climate risk without shifting responsibility for adaptation onto migrants.
- Reducing the costs associated with sending remittances is essential to maximizing their impact on climate resilience.
