The Collapse of Koko Networks: Lessons for Climate Innovation and Regulatory Reform in Africa
February 27, 2026This blog was first published on LDRI’S website. Visit the page here.
In October 2025, we shared a major milestone in LDRI’s journey: the Local Development Research Institute (LDRI) was awarded a grant to establish the AI4D Research and Innovation for Climate Hub (AI4D Climate Hub).
Developed in partnership with AfriClimate AI and funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Hub reflects our growing commitment to strengthening Africa’s climate AI ecosystem.
Today, we revisit this announcement not just as an update, but as an invitation — to you, our community — to help shape the future of responsible climate AI in Africa.
Why the AI4D Climate Hub?
Across the continent, Africa continues to generate bold, high-potential climate AI innovations. Yet many promising solutions struggle to move beyond the pilot stage. Common barriers include:
- Limited digital and research infrastructure
- Fragmented partnerships
- Regulatory complexity
- Insufficient long-term support
The AI4D Climate Hub was designed to address these gaps. Our goal is to build the connective infrastructure required to move responsible AI solutions from prototype to scale, and from experimentation to sustained, community-level impact.
Our Three Core Priorities
1. Supporting High-Potential Climate AI Innovations
Over the next three years, we will provide hands-on support to a carefully selected cohort of climate AI innovators. This support will include:
- Flexible funding
- Technical and strategic coaching
- Research partnerships
- Access to relevant datasets
- Connections to governments
- Pathways into new markets
Our first supported innovation, ImvulaNet by AfriClimate AI, is already underway. ImvulaNet is a citizen science-driven seasonal forecasting system co-developed with smallholder farmers in South Africa, demonstrating how community-centered AI can enhance climate resilience.
2. Building the Evidence Base for Responsible Scaling
Scaling climate AI responsibly requires more than capital — it requires evidence.
The Hub is building a rigorous research agenda to understand what inclusive and responsible climate AI innovation looks like in African contexts. We are examining critical questions such as:
- What infrastructure, capital, and partnerships are needed to move climate AI innovations from prototype to scale?
- How can we design energy-efficient, resource-conscious AI models that deliver net-positive environmental impact at scale?
- What does meaningful community adoption look like — including non-commercial pathways for impact — and how do we design for it from the outset?
- How do we ensure AI-driven climate solutions function as public goods: accessible, inclusive, and community-owned?
Our research will inform not only the innovations we support, but also the broader climate and AI communities, policymakers, and ecosystem partners.
3. Enabling a Supportive Policy Environment
Even the most promising innovations can stall when they encounter regulatory barriers or lack integration into national and regional systems.
The AI4D Climate Hub will work alongside policymakers to develop enabling frameworks that support the scaling of responsible climate AI solutions — across borders, into national programs, and ultimately into the hands of the communities that need them most.
A Hub and an Observatory
As we build the AI4D Climate Hub, we are also positioning it as an observatory for the broader climate AI ecosystem. Meaningful innovation and critical conversations are happening across diverse networks, and we want to help amplify them.
We welcome your insights on the teams, events, and opportunities that deserve greater visibility and support. We invite you to connect with us and contribute to this growing community.
What’s Next?
In the coming months, we will:
- Onboard our first cohort of innovators
- Announce a research partner to anchor the Hub’s climate science agenda
- Engage with partners at global convenings and community events
We look forward to deepening collaboration and collectively shaping the future of responsible climate AI in Africa.
