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Mud, stones and water. That’s just about all it takes to construct green, affordable homes called Nubian Vaults. As the name suggests, they have famously vaulted, earthen roofs, which work far better than tin roofs to regulate indoor temperatures in West Africa, one of the world’s hottest areas. In fact, they offer a gain in thermal comfort of an average of +/-7°C compared to sheet metal roofing.
In households across the Pacific, shifting rainfall patterns, more extreme weather events, and saltwater intrusion are disrupting livelihoods and food production. As a result, households face growing uncertainty about their future.
On 9 May, in Arusha, Tanzania, "Innovative Pathways: Local Solutions for Community Resilience" will spotlight community empowerment. The event will be part of the 18th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change (CBA18) (from 6 to 9 May 2024), and an opportunity to highlight the work developed by organizations and local champions worldwide.
The people living in the Mustang rangelands of Nepal know their lands well, But less snow is falling and herding practices are changing, so the water that sustains their livestock’s fodder is waning.
The UNDP-implemented Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) programme has marked a milestone with 44 partners across 33 countries joining forces to combat the impacts of climate change. The grants focus on resilient agriculture, technology, community-based adaptation, nature based solutions, and entrepreneurship.
Festo Francis Mgina uses a motorcycle to make deliveries around Karakata informal settlement in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, But when it rains heavily, crossing the nearby Msimbazi river becomes a real hazard.
To improve dialogue and knowledge exchange and ensure greater climate resilience across the Global South, local leaders from the Asia-Pacific region will meet on 23 April in Abu Dhabi (UAE) for the UNDP-led session 'Scaling up blended finance for a climate resilient future'. The panel will be part of the AVPN Investors Conference, from 23 to 25 April.
Operating within the Adaptation Innovation Marketplace – launched in 2021 by the UN Development Programme Administrator to support local access to climate finance – the UNDP-implemented Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (UNDP-AFCIA) is dedicated to propelling grassroots adaptation, with a special focus on civil society, non-government organizations and entrepreneurs, especially youth, women, and indigenous people.
Gurapwana and Dawhol Bob are two small villages in Plateau State, Nigeria that are transforming their agriculture landscape and are being empowered through small-scale farming initiatives. At the heart of these initiatives is the Sustainable Environment and Fisheries Foundation (SEFFA).
In the western Pacific Ocean, the idyllic small island of Pohnpei of the Federated States of Micronesia is home to a rich diversity of marine life. However, this diverse ecosystem is under threat from climate change and other human activities. Recognizing the urgent need to protect these invaluable natural resources, Sokehs Menin Ketengesed (SMK), an NGO based in Pohnpei, has embarked on an ambitious initiative to implement sustainable seaweed harvesting and marine conservation practices.
Issues such as water scarcity and environmental degradation are harsh realities faced by communities worldwide. In Mexico, however, a successful climate mitigation and adaptation initiative has yielded remarkable results for 15,000 families over the past decade. This initiative, underway in various municipalities in Oaxaca in southern Mexico, has now earned Espacio de Encuentro de las Culturas Originarias a Local Adaptation Champions Award from the Global Center for Adaptation.
In the sun-drenched landscapes of West Timor, Indonesia, a remarkable tale unfolds – a tale of resilience, adaptation, and the power of unity. Here, rainfall is a scarce blessing and the sun's intensity paints the earth in shades of arid beauty.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), because of the extensive deforestation, an initiative implemented by the PIFEVA NGO not only facilitates reforestation but also presents an opportunity to cultivate caterpillars for income generation and bolster food security. Those activities aim to restore biodiversity by introducing edible caterpillar trees into community forests.
At this week’s virtual Gobeshona Global Conference, speakers will illuminate innovative strategies and avenues for bolstering local resilience to climate change. On 8 March 2024, the UNDP-led session ‘"Showcasing Innovation for Locally Led Adaptation in Practice: Experiences from African Leaders’" will offer compelling narratives and insights from leaders driving positive transformations.
Community-driven initiatives, known for their cost-effectiveness and adaptability to unique challenges in the Global South, empower communities to build resilience from the grassroots level.
At COP28, a panel discussion will convene nonprofits, donors and funders to explore the implementation of innovative solutions combating the impacts of climate change.
Over three days, the event will highlight a range innovative solutions supported by grants, bringing together participants to engage in training, peer-to-peer learning, and networking such as ‘Funding Approaches for Sustainable Development’, ‘Impact and Business Development’, and ‘Funding and Innovation’.
When risks emerge, innovative solutions come into place: Social leaders from Nepal, India, and Bangladesh will share their experiences at the Resilience Hub Conference
To present a breadth of innovative Adaptation initiatives at different scales, "Locally led innovation: amplifying voices from the ground,” hosted by the Adaptation Futures Conference in Canada, will bring voices from the Global South to share their experiences of climate justice and resilience.
The ‘Private Sector Models for Unlocking Climate Resilience’ will discuss how financial institutions and the private sector can embed climate resilience in their investment strategies.
In the mountainous province of Bukidnon in the southern Philippines, the impacts of climate change are becoming clearer and clearer by the day. The area has two difficult rainy and dry seasons and strong winds yearly. In recent years, however, farmers have reported longer periods of drought and heavier rains.
Blended finance has emerged as an innovative funding approach to drive sustainable investment in local climate adaptation solutions across Asia.
Community innovation is central to addressing the climate crisis says UNDP's Head of Climate Change Adaptation, Srilata Kammila
The third annual Gobeshona Global Conference on research into action, organized by the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), will be held virtually 10-16 March 2023. Attended by national, international and high-profile participants from all around the world, the aim of the conference is to support and leverage the enormous potential and creativity of local communities to develop and implement solutions in climate adaptation and resilience.
Conventional farming methods in the Sundarban region are chemically intensive, harm nature and remain at the mercy of rising sea levels. One innovative project is instead seeking to work with the water, lifting farms onto floating platforms which support sustainability and restore community life. A trial of floating farms is run by the South Asian nature Forum for Environment (SAFE), supported by the Adaptation Fund. Funded by the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA), the initiative is part of the first round of AFCIA grants financed by the Fund and administered by the UN Development Programme. The project involves 12 local villages and 2,200 households, which in turn support thousands in the wider agrarian economy.
UNDP is accelerating adaptation planning and investments in Africa through a number of cross-sectoral solutions across the key domains of adaptation policy and planning, resilient livelihoods, food security, ecosystem-based adaptation, water resources and coastal management, and climate information and early warnings.
Blog by: Srilata Kammila and Rohini Kohli, UNDP
A Mexican climate resilience project is adopting the traditional practice of fog catching to address the impacts of water scarcity.
At this year’s Gobeshona Global Conference, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and partners of the Adaptation Innovation Marketplace (AIM) announced US$2.2 million in climate action grants for 22 local innovators across 19 countries.
The European Commission has announced EUR 10 million for the UNDP led Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator. The funding builds on a multi-partner project, the ‘Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator,’ launched in November 2020 with an initial US$10 million grant from the Adaptation Fund, and will support local entrepreneurs in developing countries to grow their innovative resilience-building solutions into viable business model that attract commercial financing.
The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator, or AFCIA, aims to foster innovation in climate change adaptation in developing countries. The programme targets a broad range of potential finance recipients, including governments, non-governmental organizations, community groups, entrepreneurs, young innovators and other groups.
