An Organic Challenge to build Climate-Smart Communes in Togo

Assignment: Urban planning consultancy to develop a methodology for the creation of Climate-Smart Communes in Togo and formulate 4 action plans for mitigation and adaptation.

Services: Consultancy on urban planning, climate change vulnerability, climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.

The reason for designing the Climate-Smart Communes was to provide actionable plans to mitigate the effects of climate change in Togo and build a future-proof environment.

West Africa is a region heavily affected by climate change. Extreme events that threaten the region include droughts, floods and coastal erosion, desertification, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall. As a result, this not only threatens the agricultural sector, but also the country’s growing population and economy.

The aim was to provide Togo with a conceptual framework for the development of Climate-Smart Communes in close cooperation with all stakeholders at national and local level. These were defined on the basis of 10 selected Communes representing Togo’s climatic diversity.

Strategies and actions

This methodology was applied to 4 Communes, which received context-specific plans and training on current maintenance and future needs. These plans considered key economic sectors such as transport, energy, agriculture and waste, with a focus on social inclusion.

Some adaptation measures we introduced are rainwater harvesting and reuse, smart irrigation and thermally efficient walls. These go hand in hand with mitigation measures, which aim to reduce and at least partially reverse these effects. Examples include using solar panels and wind turbines for clean energy production, planting drought and/or salt-tolerant native plants, and using natural materials for houses.

Several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were addressed in this project:

SDG 4 – Quality Education and Capacity Building. The project included workshops and awareness campaigns to train people at Commune level

SDG 5 – Gender Equality. The project integrated women and young people’s opinions in the methodology and action plans.

SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy. The Communes produce photovoltaic energy.

SDG 13 – Climate Action. The project strengthens the capacity of the beneficiary communities to adapt to climate change, and for others to take it forwards and adapt it to other Communes.

The project was promoted by the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and the Togo Ministry of Environment and Land Reform. The process was developed by an international and local team using a participatory approach.

See also: the project presented at COP 27