Our Strategic Approach
To realize this vision, WRI Africa works directly with local partners and governments to drive action across four strategic pillars: vital landscapes; thriving and resilient cities; clean energy; and climate, economics and finance. These pillars encompass the systems that most directly impact people, nature and the climate — from the ways we grow food and produce goods to how we power buildings and transportation. Effecting change in all four areas will be critical to achieving a truly green, inclusive and resilient transformation throughout Africa.
Productive, resilient landscapes are central to Africa’s prosperity: About 70% of the continent’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods. Yet, Africa’s landscape health is declining. Nearly 3 million hectares of forests are lost in Africa every year, 65% of its land is affected by degradation, and 3% of GDP is lost annually from soil and nutrient depletion on cropland. Our vision is to shift Africa’s food, land and water systems to meet the needs of all people while protecting nature and halting climate change.
African cities are growing rapidly, but urban infrastructure and services are not meeting demand. Our vision is to transition Africa’s urban systems to provide a better quality of life and health. That means providing equitable access to jobs and core services for all, especially the underserved. At the same time, we’re working to ensure that African cities are more resilient to climate change impacts and on a path to climate neutrality by 2050.
Access to clean, affordable and reliable power is essential for human health, education and economic prosperity. But many people in Africa still lack electricity access altogether. African countries must strike a balance between rapidly increasing access to electricity and building out low-carbon energy systems for the future. Our vision is for all communities in Africa to have access to clean, reliable affordable energy while reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
Tackling climate change is an all-encompassing challenge that will require shifts in just about every sector of the economy. By bringing together the dimensions of climate, economics and finance, we support advancing climate actions through integrated solutions. Climate action is local, and in Africa, we aim to bridge the gap between global goals and local impact, bringing in tools and expertise to build partnerships and collaboration to build lasting resilience. We aim to advance comprehensive and inclusive climate action across adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage — ultimately delivering benefits for people, nature and the climate.