Marking eight years of elevating climate adaptation on the international agenda, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) announces new leadership to accelerate adaptation in the context of evolving economic realities.
Rotterdam, the Netherlands, March 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 9 March 2026 - The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) today announced its leadership succession with H.E. President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, 6th President of the Republic of Mauritius, assuming the role of Chair of the Board of the GCA while H.E. Rindra Rabarinirinarison, former Minister of Economy and Finance of Madagascar, is joining the Global Center as its new CEO.
The appointments place female leadership from the Global South at the helm of the GCA as the Center celebrates 8 years of transformative efforts to promote climate adaptation. The announcement marks the beginning of a new phase for the organization as it continues to accelerate action on climate adaptation in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, with a strengthened focus on Africa.
Following the submission on 2 March 2026 of the United Nations Secretary-General candidacy of H.E. Macky Sall, 4th President of the Republic of Senegal, President Sall will step down from his duties as Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Global Center on Adaptation and will continue to serve as GCA Honorary Chair. H.E. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has been appointed as the new Chair of the GCA Supervisory Board.
After eight years of continuous service to GCA, H.E. Ban Ki-moon and Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, the organization's founding Chair and founding CEO, respectively, will also conclude their tenures. Professor Verkooijen's second four-year term as Chief Executive Officer of the Center concludes in March 2026, while H.E. Ban Ki-moon will assume the role of GCA Chair Emeritus."
H.E. President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, incoming Chair of the GCA Board, said: "I am honored to assume the role of Chair of the Global Center on Adaptation. Amid fast-changing and challenging geopolitical realities, it is vital that we embrace the promise of climate resilience as a growth agenda, a jobs agenda and an integrated sustainable development approach." She added "I look forward to build on the exceptional legacy of my predecessors at the Global Center on Adaptation and I extend my sincere appreciation to President Macky Sall, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Professor Patrick Verkooijen for their leadership, stewardship, and dedication in the management and development of the Center into a key global actor and force for the promotion of climate adaptation action."
Incoming CEO H.E. Rindra Rabarinirinarison said: "I am excited and determined to take on the challenge of managing the Global Center on Adaptation into a new era for climate adaptation action. While the Center's scope is global, I look forward to reinforcing our core focus on Africa and to put my expertise in economic and financial stewardship to work for mobilizing broad-based adaptation measures to keep economies and people safe. Nations around the world need to budget for climate adaptation and cannot pass up the $4 trillion global market opportunity that adaptation represents." She added "I will also be actively working with all our partners to take forward the bold new vision of AAAP 2.0 and the establishment of GCA's new dual headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya."
H.E. Ban Ki-moon, GCA Chair Emeritus, stated: "I warmly welcome President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as Chair of the Board and congratulate her on this significant appointment. I thank President Macky Sall and Professor Patrick Verkooijen for their steadfast commitment to climate resilience and their tireless work at the helm of the Global Center. Over the past eight years, the Global Center on Adaptation has played a decisive role in elevating adaptation to the highest political levels and strengthening the understanding that resilience is a strategic and economic imperative. I expect the GCA to continue to make substantial contributions to advancing this crucial agenda of climate adaptation in close cooperation with different organizations."
GCA Honorary Chair H.E. President Macky Sall said: "As I step down from the GCA Board having been put forward as a candidate for the UN Secretary-General appointment, I am proud to welcome President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as the new Chair of the Board, in addition to H.E. Rindra Rabarinirinarison as the GCA's new CEO. I express my deep appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Professor Patrick Verkooijen for their leadership and dedication, and their immense contribution to promoting adaptation action across Africa. In my role as Honorary Chair, I remain committed to supporting the vital cause of advancing adaptation and resilience around the world."
Founding CEO Prof. Patrick V. Verkooijen said: "It has been an honor to serve as Founding CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation alongside Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the Founding Chair. Adaptation is more important than ever before. As the world is overshooting its climate targets, the urgency to adapt is fiercely acute. Adaptation is not only necessary but also a key opportunity for economic growth, jobs and livelihoods. In concluding my second term, I would like to also thank the Board of the Global Center, as well as our international and local partners, for their exceptional commitment to the cause and to delivering results together."
Professor Verkooijen added that "I am especially grateful also to the hard-working and dedicated team of staff at the GCA without whom the Center's accomplishments would not have been possible. This is an exciting new chapter for the Global Center with President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim assuming the leadership of the GCA together with H.E. Rindra Rabarinirinarison as the organization's next CEO. Their wisdom and tested experience will be a huge asset of the Global Center and its vital mission in coming years."
Notes to Editors
Background
H.E. Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, who served as the first female President of Mauritius, is a globally respected biodiversity scientist and academic with a distinguished record in science, sustainability and international cooperation. She has previously served as Co-Chair of the United Nations High-Level Panel on Water. In 2024, she received the International Woman of the Year Award at the UK House of Commons. She has also been Professor and chair in Organic Chemistry at the University of Mauritius where she served successively as Dean of the Faculty of Science and as Pro-Vice Chancellor (2004-2010). Her appointment reflects the growing importance of linking climate adaptation with biodiversity protection, water security and sustainable economic development.
Newly appointed CEO H.E. Rindra Rabarinirinarison brings to the GCA an outstanding understanding of the financial and economic dimensions of climate adaptation and of investment mobilization approaches. As Minister of Economy and Finance of Madagascar (2021-2025) she was a laureate of the African Business Leadership Awards as the region's leading promoter of trade and investment (2023). She also served as a Governor of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank, among other high-level appointments. Prior to her term as Minister, she was Permanent Secretary of Madagascar's economy and finance ministry.
Since its founding, GCA has supported the integration of climate adaptation into major development investments, particularly across Africa. Working with governments and development finance institutions, the organization has helped shape more than $20 billion in projects across over 40 countries, spanning agriculture, resilient infrastructure, water systems, and further key public programs including in the domains of locally-led adaptation, health and nature-based solutions, among others.
A flagship initiative in this effort, the GCA co-managed the largest adaptation program in the world, the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), launched by African leaders in 2021 as a partnership between the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and GCA. AAAP formed part of the Action Agenda adopted at COP30 in Brazil in November 2025, while its next five-year phase - AAAP 2.0 - was a key outcome of the Africa Climate Summit II held in Addis Ababa in September 2025 as an initiative of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) as chaired by President William S. Ruto of Kenya.
Alongside the AAAP, the GCA forged technical partnerships with wide-ranging International Financial Institutions, in particular the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, supporting climate adaptation to figure within major investments in development finance. The GCA provided advisory support on adaptation to the IMF and African governments in the roll-out of its to-date more than $7 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) across multiple African nations.
These leadership appointments follow the recent announcement of GCA's unique dual headquarters model, with Nairobi, Kenya to serve alongside Rotterdam, the Netherlands, as the seat of the organization. As inaugurated by H.E. William S. Ruto, Hon. President of Kenya, the dual headquarters aims to anchor efforts under the next phase of Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) within the purview of President Ruto's presidency of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC). GCA's new leadership will further consolidate the Global Center's institutional presence on the African continent reflecting both Africa's acute climate vulnerability and the importance of regional leadership in advancing global adaptation solutions.
Since 2018, GCA has been unique in hosting multiple Heads of State level summits to galvanize prioritization on climate adaptation and to advance adaptation action within the global climate and development agenda. At the last two United Nations General Assemblies, GCA convened major high-level dialogues bringing together world leaders and high representatives from more than 50 nations, reinforcing adaptation as a core pillar of international cooperation.
The GCA's flagship knowledge initiatives included the 5-year research project, the State and Trends in Adaptation series, which delivered a major contribution to global analytics on climate adaptation together with dozens of knowledge partners. Together with GCA's co-leadership of the Global Commission on Adaptation report, the Stories of Resilience reports focused on locally-led adaptation, its pioneering of the Resilient Economies Index - Africa, and the recently-launched 'Adaptation Insights' series, among others, GCA has strengthened the economic and policy case for climate resilience worldwide and promoted frontline solutions and experiences to a global audience.
Since its inception, GCA has also built the world's largest youth movement dedicated to climate adaptation, engaging and supporting over 35,000 members across more than 100 countries to champion resilience solutions in their communities.
As GCA marks eight years since its founding, these governance transitions reaffirm its mandate to accelerate adaptation action, strengthen and support African leadership on adaptation and to ensure that climate resilience remains central to global development priorities.
Alexandra Gee Global Center on Adaptation +447887804594 alex.gee@gca.org
