MSMEs, significant driver of employment and GDP in Morocco. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are vital to the Moroccan economy, accounting for more than 30% of gross domestic product (GDP) and representing more than 70% of jobs (African Development Bank Group, 2021). However, challenges precede the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the significant contribution of MSMEs to economic growth and livelihoods in Morocco, their development has been constrained by challenges that precede the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges include inadequate access to credit and a lack of...

Climate change is manifested in Ghana through extreme weather events, especially flooding. The Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) is particularly exposed to these recurrent shocks threatening economic development and human lives. Many public assets and infrastructure are key to flood control and risk mitigation in urban areas, but at the same time can be severely affected by extreme weather events and climate risks themselves. However, in Ghana, most public assets and infrastructure are not insured. This might be due to a relatively low understanding of insurance and the unavailability of...

Loss and damage from natural disasters have increased substantially over the last couple of decades. In 2020, for example, 980 natural disasters struck the world, causing significant economic loss, destroying major infrastructure, and claiming human lives.1 A single natural disaster can have enormous financial impacts. Some of these damages and losses can be reduced and transferred if appropriate policies and actions are applied. For this reason, Climate and Disaster Risk Management (DRM) has gained importance on international agendas and in many organisations. The main idea behind DRM is to...

The Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) suffers from rainrelated floods almost every year. This development is likely the result of several factors, including a rapid expansion of sealed-off surface, unplanned urbanization, weak infrastructure, inefficient waste collection and disposal system, as well as a changing climate with more intense rainfall events compared with earlier decades. GAMA is the economic hub of Ghana and is made of 29 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies with an estimated 5.1 million inhabitants – making it the seventh-largest metropolitan area in Africa1 ...