Panel Discussion on Advancing sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and renewable energy in Africa: Lessons from the evaluations of AfDB interventions.
Panel Discussion | Online
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Organized by:
IDEV/AfDB
About the Event
Background: Addressing climate change, stimulating productive agriculture, and ensuring environmental sustainability are critical, interconnected areas of focus for Africa and the African Development Bank (AfDB or “the Bank”). The AfDB's "High 5s" priorities are strategic initiatives aimed at transforming Africa's development landscape. These include: 1) Light up and Power Africa, focusing on energy access; 2) Feed Africa, aimed at agricultural transformation; 3) Industrialize Africa, supporting industrial and economic development; 4) Integrate Africa, enhancing connectivity and intra-African trade; and 5) Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa, targeting health, education, and social inclusivity.
The Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) function of the AfDB has been contributing to the Bank’s work in these areas through a variety of topical independent evaluations, including: Evaluation of Mainstreaming Green Growth and Climate Change into the AfDB's Interventions (2008-2018); Evaluation of the AfDB’s Support for Agricultural Value Chains Development; Impact evaluation of irrigation development in Malawi; Evaluation of the AfDB’s Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT) Program, Phase I (2018-2021); Evaluation of Agricultural Water Management; and Evaluation of the AfDB’s Support for Renewable Energy (2012-2021). By assessing the Bank’s performance in these areas, exploring the factors that promoted or hampered the success of the Bank’s interventions, and offering valuable lessons and recommendations for further improvement, combined with strong stakeholder engagement during and after the evaluation process, these evaluations have been influential in shaping policy, strategic and operational decisions, and informing the design and implementation of new interventions.
Objectives of the Panel Discussion: This panel aims to highlight the findings, lessons, and recommendations from IDEV's evaluations, and how they informed subsequent AfDB policies, strategies, and operations, offering a platform to discuss how these insights can shape future strategies for agricultural transformation, green growth, climate resilience and renewable energy development in Africa. The discussion will explore the successes, challenges, lessons and pathways to enhance the effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of agricultural, renewable energy, green growth and climate change initiatives in different contexts.
Outcome: The panel aims to culminate in critical takeaways for African countries, enhancing the support to Agriculture & Agro-industry, Climate Change & Green Growth, and Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in a way that aligns with continental and global sustainability goals and addresses the unique challenges and opportunities in Africa.
Target audience: The session will bring together a wide range of participants, including parliamentarians, policy and decision-makers, civil society representatives, development partners supporting agriculture, renewable energy, green growth, and climate change initiatives, researchers, and evaluation experts.
Format: The proposed format is a virtual panel discussion via Zoom, involving the target audience. The session would commence with a brief self-introduction by the Moderator and opening remarks from AfDB’s Evaluator General. Then, a presentation of the main lessons from the evaluations, the panel discussion followed by Q&A session. A wrap-up by the moderator.
Language: The session will be both in French and English, with simultaneous interpretation (French/English) available throughout the session. Panelists will have the flexibility to speak in their preferred language.
The Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) function of the AfDB has been contributing to the Bank’s work in these areas through a variety of topical independent evaluations, including: Evaluation of Mainstreaming Green Growth and Climate Change into the AfDB's Interventions (2008-2018); Evaluation of the AfDB’s Support for Agricultural Value Chains Development; Impact evaluation of irrigation development in Malawi; Evaluation of the AfDB’s Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT) Program, Phase I (2018-2021); Evaluation of Agricultural Water Management; and Evaluation of the AfDB’s Support for Renewable Energy (2012-2021). By assessing the Bank’s performance in these areas, exploring the factors that promoted or hampered the success of the Bank’s interventions, and offering valuable lessons and recommendations for further improvement, combined with strong stakeholder engagement during and after the evaluation process, these evaluations have been influential in shaping policy, strategic and operational decisions, and informing the design and implementation of new interventions.
Objectives of the Panel Discussion: This panel aims to highlight the findings, lessons, and recommendations from IDEV's evaluations, and how they informed subsequent AfDB policies, strategies, and operations, offering a platform to discuss how these insights can shape future strategies for agricultural transformation, green growth, climate resilience and renewable energy development in Africa. The discussion will explore the successes, challenges, lessons and pathways to enhance the effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of agricultural, renewable energy, green growth and climate change initiatives in different contexts.
Outcome: The panel aims to culminate in critical takeaways for African countries, enhancing the support to Agriculture & Agro-industry, Climate Change & Green Growth, and Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in a way that aligns with continental and global sustainability goals and addresses the unique challenges and opportunities in Africa.
Target audience: The session will bring together a wide range of participants, including parliamentarians, policy and decision-makers, civil society representatives, development partners supporting agriculture, renewable energy, green growth, and climate change initiatives, researchers, and evaluation experts.
Format: The proposed format is a virtual panel discussion via Zoom, involving the target audience. The session would commence with a brief self-introduction by the Moderator and opening remarks from AfDB’s Evaluator General. Then, a presentation of the main lessons from the evaluations, the panel discussion followed by Q&A session. A wrap-up by the moderator.
Language: The session will be both in French and English, with simultaneous interpretation (French/English) available throughout the session. Panelists will have the flexibility to speak in their preferred language.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Mouanda | Chief Evaluation Officer at IDEV/AfDB | Joseph Mouanda, a Statistician-Economist and Chief Evaluation Officer at IDEV/AfDB, has 22 years' experience in evaluating AfDB-funded infrastructure (energy, transport, and WASH). He also worked in evaluation capacity development and knowledge management. He holds an M.Sc. in Statistics and Applied Economics and is a Certified Knowledge Manager. He serves as a co-instructor during the 2023 IPDET Onsite Program. |
| Balgis Osman Elasha (PhD) | Chief Climate Change and Green Growth Specialist, Regional Coordinator | Dr. Balgis has more than 20 years of experience spanning climate change mitigation and adaptation, natural resources management, renewable energy and green growth with special focus on human dimension of global environmental changes and their impacts on sustainable development. |
| Karembu, Antony Njeru | Principal Renewable Energy Officer, PERN1,AfDB | Principal Energy Specialist in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Department at the African Development Bank (AfDB), Anthony has led several operations across the renewable energy value chain in Africa. |
| Vincent Castel | Division Manager , AHAI3, AfDB | Vincent Castel has worked 17 years for the Bank in various capacity, including Chief Economist in North Africa. Previously Vincent Castel has work for the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) on Green Agricultural Policies and various bilateral and research agencies. |
Moderators
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Rufael FASSIL | Division Manager, IDEV1, AfDB | Dr. Rufael FASSIL manages the Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth; Private Sector, Infrastructure, and industrialization; and Integration Evaluations Division of Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV1). Dr. FASSIL has over 20 years of an accomplished career demonstrating expertise including designing, implementing, managing, and evaluating across a broad range of development sectors in both public and private sector activities. Prior to joining the AfDB, he has worked for United Nations Development Program (UNDP); United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and World Vision International in different capacities, where he developed a robust performance measurement system; and managed and led a variety of corporate, country, sector, thematic, project and impact evaluations in Africa, Middle East and Southeast Asia. He holds a PhD in Economics from University of Oldenburg, Germany and a MA in Development Policy from University of Bremen, Germany |