Experts from across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean are meeting today in the Rwandan capital Kigali for a South-South learning exchange on financing climate compatible development.

Participants were drawn from Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Peru and Rwanda.

More than 50 countries are establishing national funds dedicated to coordinating and mobilising financing for climate change response.

The three-day meeting will provide Rwanda with a chance to share its experience in establishing the National Fund for the Environment and Climate Change (FONERWA), the largest in Africa, officials said.

Organised by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in collaboration with Rwanda’s Environment Management Authority (Rema), the workshop will discuss challenges and opportunities related to long-term finance for low emission and climate resilient development, a statement said.

Participants will also share experiences of how national governments mobilise, manage and use resources, including climate finance to implement climate change plans and policies.

Dr Rose Mukankomeje, the director general of Rema, said "it is a great pleasure for Rwanda to welcome climate change experts from around the world to discuss financing the transition to low emission and climate resilient development at national, sub-regional and regional levels in developing countries”.

"This workshop is very important for developing countries and their climate resilient development. It will help them identify channels and leverage points for financing climate resilient development interventions,” she said in a statement.

"It will also help participants share different approaches for structuring and operating national climate finance mechanisms.”

Climate change related financing is critical for developing countries and adequate finance is considered the main element required to respond to climate change.

Levels of finance are directly linked to the action developing countries can undertake as part of the global effort to deal with climate change through adaptation and mitigation, the statement added.