By: Florence Onyango
African experts at the #SoAR2025 workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Africa Adaptation Initiative (AAI), in collaboration with the Africa Research and Impact Network (ARIN), successfully convened a two-day Stakeholder Dialogue Workshop on the State of Adaptation Report (SoAR2025) on September 3-4, 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Organized alongside the Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), the workshop brought together African experts, policymakers, and institutional partners to facilitate structured stakeholder inputs that will ensure the report accurately reflects Africa’s adaptation realities, priorities, and solutions. SoAR2025 is an African-led flagship report authored by ARIN that tracks progress in adaptation and identifies resilience solutions tailored to the continent.
The sessions were chaired by Kulthoum Omari Motsumi, Advisor to AAI, and moderated by Dr. Joanes Atela, Executive Director of ARIN. Opening remarks were delivered by Ms. Motsumi on behalf of AAI, with additional perspectives shared by a representative from GIZ, alongside contributions from the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN).
Participants reviewed and provided detailed feedback on seven thematic chapters of SoAR2025: ecosystems and biodiversity; agriculture and food security; infrastructure and human settlements; poverty and livelihoods; water resources; health; and cultural heritage. Each presentation was followed by in-depth discussions where authors, reviewers, and participants refined content and recommendations to strengthen the chapters and ensure the report reflects African-led evidence and lived experiences.
The second day began with a recap session led by Charles Tonui of ARIN, consolidating insights from the first day before moving into the remaining chapter discussions. The workshop concluded with a way forward session and an overview of the entire dialogue, during which Ms. Motsumi and Dr. Atela expressed gratitude to participants for their substantive contributions. Closing reflections were also shared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the African Development Bank (AfDB), GIZ, and the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), underscoring the collaborative nature of the process.
The dialogue reaffirmed the importance of African-led knowledge and expertise in shaping the continent’s adaptation agenda. The insights and recommendations gathered will be integrated into the finalization of SoAR2025, strengthening its role as a reference document for policymakers, negotiators, and practitioners. By contextualizing climate adaptation within Africa’s realities and priorities, the report will provide a credible evidence base to guide decision-making and resource mobilization at all levels.
SoAR2025 will be officially launched at COP30 in Brazil, where it will serve as a flagship contribution to global climate adaptation discourse and a platform to amplify Africa’s voice in shaping solutions for a resilient future.
