Municipality

Taxonomy Term List

Enhanced climate resilience in the Trois-Rivières region of Haiti through integrated flood management

As a Small Island Developing State and a Least Developed Country, Haiti is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. This vulnerability is compounded by high levels of poverty and longstanding macroeconomic challenges. 
 
By implementing agroforestry systems and rehabilitating forests in priority areas in the Trois-Rivieres watershed to address the impacts of climate change-induced flooding, this 8-year project (expected to launch in late 2023) will more than halve the number of households affected by 100-year flood events by restoring the ecosystems’ capacity for water infiltration, hence reducing land degradation.  
 
Similarly, agroforestry and reforestation interventions under the project are expected to result in a 35 percent reduction in the number of households at risk to 20-year flood events in the Trois-Rivieres watershed while providing the benefit of mitigating an estimated 3,636,750 tCO2-e during the project’s total 25-year lifespan. 
 
As well as Climate Action (SDG 13), the project will contribute towards the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Gender Equality (SDG 5); Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), and Life on Land (SDG 15).  
English
Region/Country: 
Primary beneficiaries: 
Total beneficiaries: 733,872 (292,600 direct + 441,272 indirect)
Funding source: 
Financing amount: 
US$31,290,561 ($22,427,206 GCF grant + $8,863,355 co-financing)
Co-financing total: 
US$8,863,355
Project Details: 
The Trois-Rivières watershed in the north of Haiti is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change-induced flooding. Given the near-complete absence of embankments and levees in the watershed, such flooding causes severe damage to crops and farmland, as well as agricultural infrastructure and equipment.  
 
Flooding in the region also has severe consequences for both human and livestock health, resulting in an increased risk of loss of human lives and livestock. Climate change projections simulate an increase in rainfall intensity in the region, which is expected to result in further adverse impacts on the country’s economy as well as on the most vulnerable communities and their livelihoods.  
 
Addressing the impact of climate change-induced flooding on vulnerable communities in the region, requires adopting an integrated approach to flood management that responds to the impacts of climate change. 
 
Green Climate Fund (GCF) finance will contribute to a paradigm shift towards climate-resilient sustainable development by enhancing the resilience of the watershed to the impacts of climate change-induced flooding.  
 
This shift will be achieved by implementing a transformative approach to the way in which the Government of Haiti addresses flood impacts. Specifically, direct investments from the GCF, combined with co-financing, will be used to: 
  • Implement agroforestry systems and rehabilitate ‘water towers’  through reforestation  of degraded landscapes at priority intervention sites;  
  • Enhance technical and institutional capacity for productive climate-resilient land management at the national and local levels; and to 
  • Establish the required governance framework for integrated water resources management (IWRM) to support the climate-resilient land management systems and facilitate sustainable use and management of water resources over the long term.  
 
The combined effect of project interventions will result in the adoption and implementation of a climate-resilient, integrated approach to flood management that can be readily scaled up and replicated nationally and across the Caribbean region.  
Expected Key Results and Outputs: 
Output 1. Ecosystem-based flood management solutions implemented in 25,440 hectares of the Trois-Rivières watershed 
 
Activity 1.1. Strengthen the capacity of community groups, including farmer and women’s associations, for climate-resilient land-use planning in seven target communes in the Trois-Rivières watershed 
 
Activity 1.2. Implement ecosystem-based flood management solutions in the Trois-Rivières watershed 
 
Output 2.  Climate-resilient agricultural practices, optimised value chains and social safety nets established to promote sustainable land management (SLM) and reduce degradation in the Trois-Rivières watershed
 
Activity 2.1. Strengthen institutional capacity at the commune, inter-commune and department levels in Haiti’s Trois-Rivières watershed for productive and sustainable land-use management 
 
Activity 2.2. Enhance the technical capacity and access to finance of national and local representatives involved in agriculture in the Trois-Rivières watershed for adopting climate-resilient sustainable land-use practices 
 
Output 3. Strengthened governance and capacity for climate-resilient integrated water resources management (IWRM) 
 
Activity 3.1 Strengthen national capacities for the implementation of the Water Act 
 
Activity 3.2. Develop an integrated, climate-resilient water management governance framework targeting the catchment and sub-catchment levels in the Trois-Rivières watershed 
 
Activity 3.3. Implement regular monitoring and evaluation of water resources at the catchment and sub-catchment levels to support the implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM) plans 
Monitoring & Evaluation: 
Project-level monitoring and evaluation will be undertaken in compliance with the UNDP POPP and the UNDP Evaluation Policy and will be undertaken on an annual basis. Reports will include annual progress reports (APR), an independent interim evaulation (mid-term review), and final evaluation. 
 
A full-time Monitoring and Gender Officer will be employed to conduct and coordinate on-the-ground monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the project and ensure that gender targets are met.   
 
All evaluation reports, including responses to feedback received from the public, will be uploaded in English to the UNDP Evaluation Resource Centre.  
 
The UNDP Country Office will retain all M&E records for this project for up to eight years after project financial closure to support ex-post evaluations. 
Contacts: 
UNDP
Montserrat Xilotl
Regional Technical Specialist, Climate Change Adaptation
Location: 
Project status: 
News and Updates: 

*

Display Photo: 
Expected Key Results and Outputs (Summary): 
Output 1. Ecosystem-based flood management solutions implemented in 25,440 hectares of the Trois-Rivières watershed 
 
Activity 1.1. Strengthen the capacity of community groups, including farmer and women’s associations, for climate-resilient land-use planning in seven target communes in the Trois-Rivières watershed 
 
Activity 1.2. Implement ecosystem-based flood management solutions in the Trois-Rivières watershed 
 
Output 2.  Climate-resilient agricultural practices, optimised value chains and social safety nets established to promote sustainable land management (SLM) and reduce degradation in the Trois-Rivières watershed
 
Activity 2.1. Strengthen institutional capacity at the commune, inter-commune and department levels in Haiti’s Trois-Rivières watershed for productive and sustainable land-use management 
 
Activity 2.2. Enhance the technical capacity and access to finance of national and local representatives involved in agriculture in the Trois-Rivières watershed for adopting climate-resilient sustainable land-use practices 
 
Output 3. Strengthened governance and capacity for climate-resilient integrated water resources management (IWRM) 
 
Activity 3.1 Strengthen national capacities for the implementation of the Water Act 
 
Activity 3.2. Develop an integrated, climate-resilient water management governance framework targeting the catchment and sub-catchment levels in the Trois-Rivières watershed 
 
Activity 3.3. Implement regular monitoring and evaluation of water resources at the catchment and sub-catchment levels to support the implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM) plans 
Project Dates: 
2023 to 2031
Timeline: 
Month-Year: 
Jul 2023
Description: 
GCF Board Approval
Month-Year: 
Dec 2023
Description: 
FAA Signing
Proj_PIMS_id: 
5996
SDGs: 
SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
SDG 5 - Gender Equality
SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 15 - Life On Land
Photo Caption: 
UNDP

Ecosystem-Based Adaptation at Communities of the Central Forest Corridor in Tegucigalpa

Honduras has historically experienced the effects of climate variability, particularly the El Niño/La Niña phenomenon which has a significant impact on the distribution of rainfall and the national economy.
 
The impacts can be severe. In 2015, the government declared a national emergency when an episode of El Niño saw the country experience intense droughts, especially in the dry corridor area, with more than 817,000 people affected. At the same time, the country faced one of the largest outbreak episodes of bark weevil in the last fifty years, affecting more than 800,000ha of pine forest (more than a third of the country's total pine forest cover). 
 
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, there is high confidence that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) will continue to be the dominant mode of natural climate variability in the 21st century, along with global influences, and that the regional rainfall variability it causes is likely to intensify. 
 
With finance from the Adaptation Fund, the main objective of the project 'Ecosystem-Based Adaptation at Communities of the Central Forest Corridor in Tegucigalpa' is to increase the climate resilience of the most vulnerable communities of the Central Forest Corridor and the adaptation capacity of its municipalities with an emphasis on ensuring livelihoods and the continuity of the provision of ecosystem goods and services for the city of Tegucigalpa and its surroundings.
 
To achieve this objective, the UNDP-supported project (2018-2023) is focused on three interrelated components:
 
(1) Strengthening of local and community governance under scenarios of climate change and climate variability; 
(2) Ecosystem-based adaptation measures and technologies for building resilience in the Central Forest Corridor; and 
(3) Strengthening of knowledge management systems, information and monitoring of adaptive capacity.
 
English
Region/Country: 
Level of intervention: 
Funding source: 
Financing amount: 
US$4,036,590
Co-financing total: 
N/A
Project Details: 
Surrounded by mountains with large extensions of forest, the Central Forest Corridor (CBC) surrounds the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa in the department of Francisco Morazán, providing different ecosystem services and livelihoods to the population, with an important emphasis on the supply of water for communities within the corridor and also for the capital (Central District). 
 
The approximate population in the 14 municipalities of the CBC is estimated at 1,427,699 inhabitants (more than 16% of the total population of the country). In three CBC municipalities (Ojojona, Santa Ana and Lepaterique) there are residents who belong to the Lenca indigenous people.
 
According to data from the 2014 forest map of the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF), the CBC has an extension of approximately 186,525 ha, with 102,786 ha of forest cover, which is equivalent to 55% of the total area of the corridor. Of this extension of forest cover, approximately 56% (57,547 ha) is pine forest and the rest is broadleaf, mixed and deciduous (dry) forest. This percentage of forest is constantly subjected to natural and anthropogenic pressures that prevent its natural development, and jeopardizes the ability to provide ecosystem benefits to the entire population that lives around and within them. The impacts of climate change only aggravate this situation.
 
Considering that almost half of the territory of the CBC belongs to sub-basins that provide more than two thirds of the total water in the capital, the need to work on ecosystem-based adaptation through integrated water resource management is evident, recognizing the role of hydrographic basins, forests and vegetation in the regulation of water flows and its supply for the construction of resilience in the face of climate change. 
 
Therefore, the importance of being able to address schemes of compensation mechanisms in water resources (eg payments for ecosystem services, etc.), to help land users, producers or ranchers to conserve forests in basins that supply water to the capital, protect biodiversity and provide livelihoods for the population.
 
With this, the main objective of the project is to increase the climate resilience of the most vulnerable communities of the CBC and the adaptation capacity of its municipalities with an emphasis on ensuring livelihoods and the continuity of the provision of ecosystem goods and services for the city. from Tegucigalpa and surroundings.
Expected Key Results and Outputs: 
Result 1: Strengthen the CBC Platform to implement ecosystem-based adaptation processes through territorial planning
 
1.1 Strengthened coordination and decision-making spaces for the sustainable management of the natural resources of the CBC, including measures for the effective participation of women and indigenous peoples
1.2 Regulations related to the management of natural resources applied in the CBC
1.3 Municipal Climate Change Adaptation Plans prepared and validated
1.4 Operational proposal of a financing scheme for adaptation measures to Climate Change in the CBC prepared and validated
 
Result 2: Ecosystem-based adaptation measures and technologies designed and implemented to increase community resilience and their livelihoods in the CBC, promoting gender equity and active participation of young people
 
2.1 Pine forest areas affected by pests and fires in the CBC restored to safeguard ecosystem goods and services and the livelihoods of communities
2.2 Strategic forest areas restored by natural regeneration through effective protection mechanisms against fires, pests, and land use change
2.3 Climate change adaptation measures and technologies implemented to optimize the use of water and forest resources
 
Result 3: Generation, systematization, and use of climate change knowledge and information to contribute to research, capacity-building, monitoring, and informed decision-making
 
3.1 Applied research carried out on the links between climate change, pests, fires and adaptation measures in the CBC
3.2 ONCCDS strengthened for the management of information and knowledge on adaptation to climate change
3.3 Monitoring system against pests and forest fires operating with community participation schemes and articulated to an early warning system in the CBC
3.4 Knowledge and experiences of the project systematized and communicated
 
Monitoring & Evaluation: 

Monitoring and evaluation at the project level will be carried out in accordance with UNDP requirements contained in the UNDP Operations and Programs Policies and Procedures. and in the UNDP Evaluation Policy . Additional specific monitoring and evaluation requirements of the Adaptation Fund will also be implemented in accordance with its Monitoring and Evaluation Policy and other relevant policies. In addition, the project will engage in other monitoring and evaluation activities deemed necessary to support adaptive management of the project.

The project results indicated in the project results framework of the Project Document will be monitored annually and periodically evaluated during the execution of the project to ensure that the project achieves those results.

Supported by Component 3, the monitoring plan will facilitate learning and ensure that knowledge is widely shared and disseminated to support scaling up and replication of project results.

*The UNDP country office will retain all monitoring and evaluation records for this project – including annual Project Implementation Reports (PPR), the project’s Mid-term Review, and Final Evaluation – for up to seven years after the project's economic closure to support ex post evaluations conducted by the UNDP Independent Evaluation Office and the Office of Independent Evaluation of the Adaptation Fund.

Inception Report (2019)

Mid-Term Review (2021)

Contacts: 
UNDP
Montserrat Xilotl
Regional Technical Specialist, Climate Change Adaptation
Location: 
Project status: 
Display Photo: 
Expected Key Results and Outputs (Summary): 
Result 1: Strengthen the CBC Platform to implement ecosystem-based adaptation processes through territorial planning
 
1.1 Strengthened coordination and decision-making spaces for the sustainable management of the natural resources of the CBC, including measures for the effective participation of women and indigenous peoples
1.2 Regulations related to the management of natural resources applied in the CBC
1.3 Municipal Climate Change Adaptation Plans prepared and validated
1.4 Operational proposal of a financing scheme for adaptation measures to Climate Change in the CBC prepared and validated
 
Result 2: Ecosystem-based adaptation measures and technologies designed and implemented to increase community resilience and their livelihoods in the CBC, promoting gender equity and active participation of young people
 
2.1 Pine forest areas affected by pests and fires in the CBC restored to safeguard ecosystem goods and services and the livelihoods of communities
2.2 Strategic forest areas restored by natural regeneration through effective protection mechanisms against fires, pests, and land use change
2.3 Climate change adaptation measures and technologies implemented to optimize the use of water and forest resources
 
Result 3: Generation, systematization, and use of climate change knowledge and information to contribute to research, capacity-building, monitoring, and informed decision-making
 
3.1 Applied research carried out on the links between climate change, pests, fires and adaptation measures in the CBC
3.2 ONCCDS strengthened for the management of information and knowledge on adaptation to climate change
3.3 Monitoring system against pests and forest fires operating with community participation schemes and articulated to an early warning system in the CBC
3.4 Knowledge and experiences of the project systematized and communicated
 
Project Dates: 
2018 to 2023
Timeline: 
Month-Year: 
Mar 2017
Description: 
AF Board Approval
Month-Year: 
Dec 2018
Description: 
ProDoc Signature
Month-Year: 
Mar 2019
Description: 
Inception Workshop
Month-Year: 
Nov 2021
Description: 
Mid-Term Review
Month-Year: 
Dec 2023
Description: 
Expected Date of Terminal Evaluation
Proj_PIMS_id: 
5839
SDGs: 
SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 15 - Life On Land
Facebook URL: 
https://www.facebook.com/sernaHN
Photo Caption: 
PNUD Honduras

Increased resilience and adaptive capacity of the most vulnerable communities to climate change in Forested Guinea

The impacts of climate change in Forested Guinea will disturb rainfall patterns and increase the occurrence and intensity of flash floods and droughts. These climate trends will intensify in coming years and substantially affect water resources, disturb agriculture seasons, spread crop diseases and pests, and reduce biodiversity, in turn impacting food security and social stability. 
 
With the highest rates of poverty in the country and a reliance on rain-fed agriculture, communities in the Forest Guinea region are particularly vulnerable to climate shocks. 
 
A long-term strategy for sustainable and climate-resilient regional development is to improve the livelihoods of the most vulnerable communities. To this end, this project focuses on the adoption of climate-smart agro-sylvo-pastoral strategies in eight target municipalities: Koulé, Kokota, Niosomoridou, Diécké, Bignamou, Wassérédou, Gouécké, and Mousadou.
 
English
Primary beneficiaries: 
651,800 direct beneficiaries in 8 municipalities: Koulé, Kokota, Niosomoridou, Diécké, Bignamou, Wassérédou, Gouécké, Mousadou
Financing amount: 
GEF-LDCF: US$8,850,000 | UNDP-TRAC: US$400,000
Co-financing total: 
US$27,700,000
Project Details: 

The Republic of Guinea is a coastal country situated in West Africa, on the Atlantic Coast, sharing its northern border with Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and Mali and its southern border with Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ivory Coast. Its geographical location situates it at the crossroads of the major West African climatic groups, including the Guinean coastal climate, the Sudanese climate and the humid tropical climate at the edge of the equatorial climate. 

The country is likely to be heavily impacted by climate change, and some effects are already being observed. For example, the seasonal distribution of rainfall and its intensity has changed in recent decades. Rising temperatures and changes in regional rainfall may continue to lead to flooding and have the potential to bring drought and extended dry spells in some regions.

The natural region of Forested Guinea, covering 23% of the country, is particularly fragile. Communities are especially vulnerable due to several deep-rooted factors such as; highest rate incidence of poverty in the country (~67% against a national average of 43,7 %); poor levels of financial and technical capacities of the farming communities and the institutions mandated to support rural development; dependence on rain fed agriculture (~97% of cultivated lands are rainfed) which is the primary source of livelihood and critical for food security; and poor agriculture/land management practices that contribute to degradation of agricultural landscapes, contribute to climate change and have negative effects on the overall crop productivity. 

Forest Guinea, however, has a strong potential for agricultural development: out of 700,000 ha of agricultural lands that can be developed, including 400,000 ha of inventoried and geo-referenced lowlands, only 30,200 ha are partially developed and 1,000 ha in total water control in the finishing phase in Koundian. 

The proposed long-term solution of this project is to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacities of the most vulnerable local communities (with a focus on youth and women) in Forested Guinea, to face climate change and improve self-sufficiency in basic living needs of rural communities and create conditions to enable its replication.

Expected Key Results and Outputs: 
Outcome 1: Climate resilience of vulnerable communities (at least 14,000 farming households) of Forested Guinea area achieved by the introduction of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices on at least 20,000 ha of agro-sylvo-pastoral lands.
 
Output 1.1: A CSA development platform (involving government authorities, farmers, the private sector, research entities) is formed to guide the formulation and the implementation of CSA investments and support their implementation.
 
Output 1.2: Context-specific CSA technology packages are implemented in sylvo-agropastoral landscapes covering an area of at least 20,000 ha and benefitting to 14,000 households. 
 
Output 1.3: A sustainable CSA inputs supply system established in the targeted communities.
 
Output 1.4: A sliding 5-year investment plan for the scaling up of the CSA is developed and embedded into the local development plans (LDPs) of target municipalities.
 
Output 1.5: A knowledge platform and replication strategy.
 
Output 1.6: Monitoring system established.
 
Outcome 2: Access of communities’ members, CBOs, CSOs, and local authorities to adaptation finance is enhanced in Forested Guinea.
 
Output 2.1: Microfinance institutions, local Banks and specialized NGOs (at least one in each prefecture) are supported to develop and submit one climate finance project for accessing financial resources and/or line of credit for CSA investments. 
 
Output 2.2: Training packages on adaptation business models and investments delivered to at least 5,000 people, and at least 100 staff of Microfinance institutions, local banks and specialized NGOs on how to assess CSAs investment credit requests.
 
Output 2.3: Finance for climate smart agro-sylvo-pastoral technologies extended to up to 2,400 persons representing small businesses, farmers and households. 
 
Output 2.4: An institutional and a policy frameworks are developed to enable local communities and authorities accessing finance for CSA and other adaptive practices in the sector of agriculture.
 
Outcome 3: Climate information products and services for the development of CSA are developed and available for the communities and institutions.
 
Output 3.1: Climate risk informed agro-ecological zoning of the different productive landscape of Forested Guinea developed. 
 
Output 3.2: A training program on how to use climate information products and services delivered to the local authorities, NGOs / CSOs, and farming communities.
 
Output 3.3: Tailored Climate information products and services are produced and disseminated to the end-users.
 
Output 3.4: Local Development Plans of the targeted municipalities include climatic data on potential impacts, hazards and risks, and incorporate in the planning climate change adaptation measures that are discussed with the full participation of key stakeholders, including vulnerable beneficiary groups.
 
Output 3.5: Replication Strategy and Action Plan developed at a national scale.

 

Monitoring & Evaluation: 

The project results, corresponding indicators and mid-term and end-of-project targets in the project results framework will be monitored annually and evaluated periodically during project implementation. The project monitoring and evaluation plan will also facilitate learning and ensure knowledge is shared and widely disseminated to support the scaling up and replication of project results.

Project-level monitoring and evaluation will be undertaken in compliance with UNDP requirements as outlined in the UNDP POPP (including guidance on GEF project revisions) and UNDP Evaluation Policy. Additional mandatory GEF-specific M&E requirements will be undertaken in accordance with the GEF Monitoring Policy and the GEF Evaluation Policy and other relevant GEF policies.

Minimum project monitoring and reporting requirements, as required by the GEF:

  • Inception Workshop and Report
  • Annual GEF Project Implementation Report (PIR)
  • Independent Mid-term Review (MTR)
  • Terminal Evaluation (TE)

 

The project’s terminal GEF PIR along with the Terminal Evaluation report and corresponding management response will serve as the final project report package. The final project report package shall be discussed with the Project Board during an end-of-project review meeting to discuss lesson learned and opportunities for scaling up.   

Contacts: 
UNDP
Julien Simery
Regional Technical Adviser, Climate Change Adaptation
Location: 
News and Updates: 

Guinea - Increased climate resilience and adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities in Forested Guinea (GEF-LDCF)

Display Photo: 
Expected Key Results and Outputs (Summary): 
Outcome 1: Climate resilience of vulnerable communities (at least 14,000 farming households) of Forested Guinea area achieved by the introduction of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices on at least 20,000 ha of agro-sylvo-pastoral lands.
 
Output 1.1: A CSA development platform (involving government authorities, farmers, the private sector, research entities) is formed to guide the formulation and the implementation of CSA investments and support their implementation.
 
Output 1.2: Context-specific CSA technology packages are implemented in sylvo-agropastoral landscapes covering an area of at least 20,000 ha and benefitting to 14,000 households. 
 
Output 1.3: A sustainable CSA inputs supply system established in the targeted communities.
 
Output 1.4: A sliding 5-year investment plan for the scaling up of the CSA is developed and embedded into the local development plans (LDPs) of target municipalities.
 
Output 1.5: A knowledge platform and replication strategy.
 
Output 1.6: Monitoring system established.
 
Outcome 2: Access of communities’ members, CBOs, CSOs, and local authorities to adaptation finance is enhanced in Forested Guinea.
 
Output 2.1: Microfinance institutions, local Banks and specialized NGOs (at least one in each prefecture) are supported to develop and submit one climate finance project for accessing financial resources and/or line of credit for CSA investments. 
 
Output 2.2: Training packages on adaptation business models and investments delivered to at least 5,000 people, and at least 100 staff of Microfinance institutions, local banks and specialized NGOs on how to assess CSAs investment credit requests.
 
Output 2.3: Finance for climate smart agro-sylvo-pastoral technologies extended to up to 2,400 persons representing small businesses, farmers and households. 
 
Output 2.4: An institutional and a policy frameworks are developed to enable local communities and authorities accessing finance for CSA and other adaptive practices in the sector of agriculture.
 
Outcome 3: Climate information products and services for the development of CSA are developed and available for the communities and institutions.
 
Output 3.1: Climate risk informed agro-ecological zoning of the different productive landscape of Forested Guinea developed. 
 
Output 3.2: A training program on how to use climate information products and services delivered to the local authorities, NGOs / CSOs, and farming communities.
 
Output 3.3: Tailored Climate information products and services are produced and disseminated to the end-users.
 
Output 3.4: Local Development Plans of the targeted municipalities include climatic data on potential impacts, hazards and risks, and incorporate in the planning climate change adaptation measures that are discussed with the full participation of key stakeholders, including vulnerable beneficiary groups.
 
Output 3.5: Replication Strategy and Action Plan developed at a national scale.
Project Dates: 
2023 to 2028
Timeline: 
Month-Year: 
Dec 2022
Description: 
CEO Endorsement
Proj_PIMS_id: 
6016
SDGs: 
SDG 1 - No Poverty
SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
SDG 5 - Gender Equality
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 15 - Life On Land
Photo Caption: 
UNDP

Enhancing Climate Resilience in Thailand through Effective Water Management and Sustainable Agriculture

While Thailand has made remarkable progress in social and economic development over the last four decades, rising temperatures and more frequent and extreme droughts and floods driven by climate change pose an increasing threat to the country’s economy. Water management has emerged as a leading concern.  

This project will help build the resilience of farmers in the Yom and Nan river basins (Sukhothai, Phitsanulok and Uttaradit provinces) through improved climate information and forecasts, the introduction of more climate-resilient agricultural practices, and expanded access to markets and finance.    

At the same time, it will work with subnational and national agencies to improve risk-informed planning and decision-making, promote cross-sectoral coordination, and upgrade critical infrastructure such as irrigation canals and floodgates, taking advantage of ecosystem-based adaptation approaches.  

 

 

 

 

 

English
Region/Country: 
Coordinates: 
POINT (100.54687496761 13.768731166253)
Primary beneficiaries: 
This project will directly benefit 62,000 people in the provinces of Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, and Uttaradit in the northern region of Thailand of the Greater Chao Phraya River Basin, at the confluence of the Yom and Nan Rivers. Approximately 471,561 people in the project districts are also expected to indirectly benefit, with wider benefits for 25,000,000 people living in the Greater Chao Phraya River Basin.
Funding source: 
Financing amount: 
US$17,533,500 GCF grant
Co-financing total: 
US$16.264 million from the Royal Thai Government through the Royal Irrigation Department | $113,000 Krungsri Bank | Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives $16 million line of credit to help farmers invest in adaptation measures
Project Details: 

Thailand’s extreme vulnerability to climate change is shaped by an extensive coastline, a large rural population highly dependent on agriculture, and extensive populous urban areas located on flood prone plains.

Severe rain, flood and drought events are expected to increase in the near and longer-term future. The country’s agricultural sector will be particularly impacted by changing patterns of precipitation, with implications for agricultural livelihoods and local and national economies. Between 2040 and 2049, the projected negative impacts on agriculture are estimated to induce losses of between $24 billion and $94 billion.

In 2011, 66 out of the country’s 77 provinces were affected by flooding, with over 20,000 square kilometres of agricultural land damaged, and nearly 900 lives lost.  The following year, Thailand suffered $46.5 billion in damages and loss, and required an estimated $14 billion in loans for rehabilitation and reconstruction as a result. 

The recent drought in 2015-2016 is estimated to have resulted in losses of $3.4 billion. 

Poor households will suffer disproportionately from the impacts of climate change. Poverty in Thailand has a predominately rural profile, which fluctuates according to vulnerabilities in the agricultural sector, such as faltering economic growth, falling agricultural prices, and droughts. 

Proportionally, the Central and Northern Regions of Thailand have the highest levels of poverty. Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, and Uttaradit provinces – those covered by the project – have higher poverty levels compared with other parts of the country.   

Climate-informed water management and climate-resilient water infrastructure are critical to Thailand’s preparedness and response to climate change. Thailand’s National Adaptation Plan 2018, highlighted flood control and drought management as key priorities, with a focus on Chao Phraya River Basin. 

Given the cost of upgrading existing water infrastructure across the country, the Royal Thai Government is seeking to complement its grey infrastructure with ecosystems-based adaptation measures. As agriculture households are the most vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, an integrated solution which brings together water management and agriculture is key. 

This project therefore focuses on adapting water management and agricultural livelihoods in the Yom and Nan river basins to climate change induced extreme weather events (droughts and floods), through interventions across three outputs: 

·       Output 1:  Enhancing climate and risk informed planning in the water and agricultural sectors through improved climate information and cross sectoral coordination

·       Output 2:  Improving water management through strengthened infrastructure complemented by EbA measures, for greater resilience to climate change impacts

·       Output 3:  Reducing volatility of agriculture livelihoods in drought and flood prone areas through strengthened extension support and local planning, investment in on-farm adaptation measures and greater access to finance and markets

Better integration of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) measures will have environmental benefits, while capacity-building interventions will support cost-efficient and effective water and agriculture planning. 

The project design – which includes artificial intelligence to support climate-informed planning, precision agriculture for efficient water use and applies the internet of things (IoT) concept for sharing and applying data – has been guided by Thailand 4.0, which aims to shift Thailand’s agriculture sector towards an innovation-driven and interconnected sector. 

At the same time, the project also supports low-tech interventions to help farmers respond to changing rainfall patterns.  These include on-farm ecosystem-based adaptation measures (for example, farm ponds), small-scale equipment to support water saving farming practices (for example, system for rice intensification) and community nurseries.  

Training will be provided to ensure that extension services can support farmers with adaptation measures, and the project will provide support to market access for products resulting from climate resilient practices.   

The project builds on existing initiatives, including work by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to enhance Thailand’s agriculture sector adaptation planning (supported by UNDP and FAO through a BMU funded project) and work by the Ministry to implement the Agricultural Strategic Plan on Climate Change 2017-2021 whereby the Royal Irrigation Department takes the lead for the Strategy 2 (Adaptation Actions). 

The Office of National Water Resources – which functions as the regulating agency in proposing policies, formulating master plan on water resources management, responsible for management and supervision as well as integration on the implementation plan of water related-agencies in accordance with the Water Resource Management Act (2018) – has developed the 20-year Master Plan on Water Management (2018-2037), aimed at solving Thailand’s chronic drought, flood and wastewater problems. The Master Plan also stresses the importance of the need to bring in new ideas and technologies to address water related challenges which are exacerbated by climate change.

Expected Key Results and Outputs: 

Output 1:  Enhance climate and risk informed planning in the water and agricultural sectors through improved climate information and cross sectoral coordination

Activity 1.1 Strengthen capacity to generate tailored climate information to inform water management and agriculture planning

Activity 1.2. Facilitate inter-ministerial coordination for climate-informed and integrated planning

Activity 1.3. Expand access to climate information for application at the household level

Output 2: Improve water management through strengthened infrastructure complemented by EbA measures, for greater resilience to climate change impacts

Activity 2.1.   Climate-informed engineering designs for the 13 schemes of the Yom-Nan river basin, and upgrade of 2 water infrastructure 

Activity 2.2.  Complementing of grey infrastructure with EbA measures and integration of EbA approaches into water management policy and planning

Output 3:  Reduce volatility of agriculture livelihoods in drought and flood prone areas through strengthened extension support and local planning, investment in on-farm adaptation measures and greater access to finance and markets

Activity 3.1. Application of climate information in household agriculture planning and strengthening related support through extension services

Activity 3.2.  Implementation of on-farm climate resilient measures to improve drought and flood resilience and improved access to finance for sustainable agriculture

Activity 3.3.  Capacity building for farmers to support market access for climate resilient agriculture products

Monitoring & Evaluation: 

UNDP will perform monitoring, evaluation and reporting throughout the reporting period, in compliance with the UNDP POPP, the UNDP Evaluation Policy.  

The primary responsibility for day-today project monitoring and implementation rests with the Project Manager.  UNDP’s Country Office will support the Project Manager as needed, including through annual supervision missions.

Key reports include annual performance reports (APR) for each year of project implementation; an independent mid-term review (MTR); and an independent terminal evaluation (TE) no later than three months prior to operational closure of the project.

The final project APR along with the terminal evaluation report and corresponding management response will serve as the final project report package and will be made available to the public on UNDP’s Evaluation Resource Centre.

The UNDP Country Office will retain all M&E records for this project for up to seven years after project financial closure in order to support ex-post evaluations.

Contacts: 
UNDP
Charles Yu
Regional Technical Advisor - Climate Change Adaptation
Climate-related hazards addressed: 
Location: 
Project status: 
Display Photo: 
Expected Key Results and Outputs (Summary): 

Output 1:  Enhance climate and risk informed planning in the water and agricultural sectors through improved climate information and cross sectoral coordination

Activity 1.1 Strengthen capacity to generate tailored climate information to inform water management and agriculture planning

Activity 1.2. Facilitate inter-ministerial coordination for climate-informed and integrated planning

Activity 1.3. Expand access to climate information for application at the household level

Output 2: Improve water management through strengthened infrastructure complemented by EbA measures, for greater resilience to climate change impacts

Activity 2.1.   Climate-informed engineering designs for the 13 schemes of the Yom-Nan river basin, and upgrade of 2 water infrastructure 

Activity 2.2.  Complementing of grey infrastructure with EbA measures and integration of EbA approaches into water management policy and planning

Output 3:  Reduce volatility of agriculture livelihoods in drought and flood prone areas through strengthened extension support and local planning, investment in on-farm adaptation measures and greater access to finance and markets

Activity 3.1. Application of climate information in household agriculture planning and strengthening related support through extension services

Activity 3.2.  Implementation of on-farm climate resilient measures to improve drought and flood resilience and improved access to finance for sustainable agriculture

Activity 3.3.  Capacity building for farmers to support market access for climate resilient agriculture products

Project Dates: 
2022 to 2027
Timeline: 
Month-Year: 
October 2021
Description: 
GCF Board Approval
Month-Year: 
January 2022
Description: 
FAA Effectiveness
Month-Year: 
May 2023
Description: 
Inception workshop
Proj_PIMS_id: 
5923
SDGs: 
SDG 1 - No Poverty
SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
SDG 5 - Gender Equality
SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 10 - Reduce Inequalities
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 15 - Life On Land
SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
Photo Caption: 
UNDP

Enhancing climate resilience of rural communities and ecosystems in Ahuachapán Sur, El Salvador

The main project objective is reducing the vulnerability of communities and productive ecosystems in the Municipality of San Francisco Menendez to drought risk, soil erosion, and flash floods due to climate change and climate variability. The project will integrate forest landscape restoration as a climate change adaptation strategy targeted towards increasing forest cover, improving the hydrological cycle, increasing the amount of available water, and regulating surface and groundwater flows, while maintaining and improving water supply and quality. The project landscape approach will ensure that land degradation is reduced (or reversed) and that productivity is maintained and made resilient to climate change impact, thus contributing to better food security and community resilience. By ensuring and enabling institutional and governance environment, the project will generate coordinated and informed actors with the capacity to address appropriate adaptation measures in the medium and long term thus resulting in a genuine local resilience to climate change.

The project will meet its objective by restoring 3,865Ha of forest landscape within San Francisco Menendez, through a landscape-based ecosystem intervention that will focus on the restoration of critical landscapes and enhance its capacity to manage droughts, soil erosion and flash floods; promoting and implementing climate resilient and economically viable productive alternatives in the region that address the economic vulnerability being faced in the region as traditional agricultural systems have become less productive due to climate change; generating climate and hydrological information products in the region to identify and monitor the impact of climate change in the landscape and also the effectiveness of ecosystem based interventions in their management to improve local and national responses; and enhancing local capacity to take concerted action in addressing climate change impact, prioritizing adaptation interventions and mobilizing the financing necessary for their implementation.

English
Region/Country: 
Level of intervention: 
Coordinates: 
POINT (-88.395996099475 13.433791341118)
Funding source: 
Financing amount: 
US$8.4 million
Project Details: 

National Background

  1. El Salvador has been identified by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as one of the countries with the highest sensitivity to climate change[1]. According to the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC, the country is characterized by a high exposure to geoclimatic threats, resulting from its location and topography, exacerbating climate change induced risk and vulnerability of human settlements and ecosystems[2]. The Global Climate Risk Index for the period between 1997 to 2016, covering both human and economic impacts, ranks El Salvador 16th in the world, emphasizing the country’s high vulnerability to extreme climate events[3]. There is ample evidence of climate change and variability affecting all sectors of society and economy, at different spatial and temporal scales, from intra-seasonal to long-term variability as a result of large-scale cyclical phenomena[4]. A study from The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) found that between 1980 to 2008, an average of 1.5 natural disasters per year resulted in nearly 7,000 human casualties, affecting 2.9 million people, and costing US $470 million to the central government (amount that is equivalent to 4.2% of the Gross Domestic Product). The country of El Salvador spends an equivalent to 1.1% of its total GDP with dealing with climate change related impacts and infrastructure every year on average.

 

  1. El Salvador is the most densely populated country in Central America (342 people per km²) with a population of approximately 6.46 million inhabitants, of which 52.9% are women[5]. The country’s territory totals 21,040 km², with a rugged topography (50% of total land mass has slopes of over 15%), highly erodible soils and the lowest per capita availability of freshwater in Central America5. According to the measurement of compound poverty[6], 35.2% of the total Salvadoran households are poor, equivalent to 606,000 homes to approximately 2.6 million people. Similarly, the multidimensional poverty rate in rural areas is 58.5%, and 22.5% in urban areas. Thirty-eight percent of the country’s population resides in rural or non-urban areas, of which 20% are women[7]. In all the departments, other than one, over 50% of rural households are multidimensionally poor and as such are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change (Figure 1). Homes with this condition have the following deprivations: 37% food insecurity; 49% lack of access to drinking water; 83.7% no access to public health.

 

  1. Sixty percent of the national territory is devoted to agriculture, which is the main source of livelihood for the rural population in the country. About 36% of the total country territory is arable land, with corn as the main subsistence crop, followed by rice, beans, oilseeds, and sorghum, and with the cultivation of coffee and sugar cane as major cash crops The effects of climate change, as observed over recent years, have directly affected the productivity across the whole spectrum of the agricultural sector, with significant impacts on smallholder farming[8].  According to the last agricultural census, there are more than 325,000 producers of basic grains who work in land parcels of sizes ranging between 0.7-3 hectares. Not surprisingly, 52.4% of the farmers organize their agricultural activity in parcels averaging 0.7 hectares, with an average corn production of 1.427 kg/ha. This production may satisfy the immediate needs of a family household (requiring only 1,300 kg of corn per year), but is significantly lower than the national average production (2,575 kg/ha). Impact from extreme weather such as the tropical storm Mitch (1998) caused damages and total loss of US $388.1 million, with US $158.3 million (40.8% of the total) impacting the agricultural sector. The 2001, drought reported damages and loss for US $31.4 million and 81% for the farming industry. Hurricane Stan (2005) caused US $355.6 million in damages and loss, US $48.7 million and 13.7% of the total for the agricultural sector. The Tropical Depression Twelve-E (DT 12-E) in 2011 carried a price tag of US $306 million in damages and losses in the agricultural sector. Between 2014 and 2015, losses in agriculture, as a result of severe drought, costed the country more than US $140 million, with greater impact felt on subsistence crops (corn and beans), as well as in the dairy industry which lost more than 10% of its production. The sustained dry spell followed by high temperatures, has also caused severe damage to the health of human populations, to the broader agricultural sector, and the natural environment. Furthermore, the reduction or deficiency in rainfall over the period has also affected the availability and quality of superficial and underground water resources.

 

Extreme weather hazards and climate change in El Salvador

  1. El Salvador is currently impacted by the effects of climate variability and change, with highly variable rainfall patterns, both spatial and temporal, which is leading to an increase in the number of extreme climatic events (i.e. tropical cyclones, floods and droughts). Over time, El Salvador has passed from experiencing one event per decade in the sixties and seventies, two in the eighties, four in the nineties, to eight extreme events in the last decade. This shows a shift from previous decades, when extreme events hitting the country would originate mostly from the Atlantic Ocean, and had its first wave of impacts mitigated by the land mass of neighbouring countries. This is no longer the case, since the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones originating from both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans has increased over the past two decades.

 

  1. Studies from the National Service of Territorial Studies (Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales, SNET) reveal that at least 10% of the country is prone to floods, 20% percent is exposed to landslides, 50% is affected by drought. The poorest segments of the population are particularly hit by natural disasters, as they are more likely to live in hazardous parts of the territory, such as flood plains, river banks, steep slopes, and fragile buildings in densely populated zones.

 

  1. In 2014, the average accumulated rain for July ended as the lowest in the last 44 years[9] on record, and in 2015 the average accumulated rain during the rainy season was the lowest ever recorded, reaching only 63% of what should be expected given normal historic climate conditions (Figure 4). Extended drought periods in the country, have traditionally been followed by high temperatures, hindering progress and functioning of important sectors of the economy, including agriculture, health, water resources, and energy. According to the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximations from Central America’s main the prima harvest for 2015 showed a decline of 60% in the total maize harvest, and 80% in the total beans harvest due to drier than normal weather conditions.

 

  1. Consecutive dry years, in which the dry spells last for extended periods of time, have become more frequent due to climate change. This has had wide spread effect across different sectors, consequently increasing risk and vulnerability of populations in El Salvador. Most importantly, this causes reduction on the availability of food (also affecting its access and use), due to impacts on income and basic goods availability in certain regions of the country, with serious social and economic impacts in the long-term. Furthermore, extended drought periods in the region has made landscapes more susceptible to soil erosion, floods and landslides, especially in the advent of localized rainfall in excess. Droughts in El Salvador are also known for causing fluctuations in food prices, plant pests epidemic, animal disease propagation, financial and political instability.

 

National Climate Scenarios

  1. The climate change scenarios indicate that in the coming years, El Salvador will experience more intense, and more frequent, extreme events. According to the projected scenarios, the country will consistently face reductions in precipitation and constant increases in temperature (Figure 5). The National Climate Scenarios produced by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) show that over the course of this century, the average temperatures (maximum and minimum averages) will increase considerably, with the magnitude of the change being most marked for the period 2071-2100.

 

  1. Average and minimum temperature will shift considerably between the periods 2021-2050 and 2071-2100 under all climatic scenarios. This represent changes between 1 °C and 3 °C and up to 4.5 °C towards the end of the century. These projected changes in temperature for El Salvador, are most in line with the changes projected by the IPCC. Temperature increases of such magnitude, will have direct effect on the temperature of the Pacific coast. When breaking and zooming into the time series of projections, the data shows that, in the near future (between 2021-2030 and 2031-2041), all scenarios point out to shifts between 0.7 °C and 1.5 °C, which is higher than what its observed today. The last decade in the period under consideration, presents the greatest changes in temperature with values ​​between 1.5 °C and 2 °C in the country. These projections reveal that, in the future, 90% of the national territory will be subject to average temperature values above 27 °C.

 

  1. All scenarios point to a decrease in precipitation between 10% to 20%, across the country between 2021-2050, with some regions being expected to see a reduction above 20% (under a high emissions scenario). This would represent a reduction of no less than 200 mm per year in precipitation. Comparably, towards 2041-2050 the magnitude of rainfall reduction will remain on the mark between 10% to 20%, similar to the previous period. It is worth noting that projected changes between 2031-2040 can be attributed to already ongoing climate change and variability processes in El Salvador, and that these changes are within the scope of the IPCC projections for the region.

 

  1. The projected scenarios for the period between 2071-2100, show even more drastic changes in precipitation patterns in the country, with values ranging between 20 to 26% under the high emissions pathway. When looking at each decade in detail, for example, between 2071-2080 the changes represent a decrease of 15-25% in rainfall, under a low emissions scenario, followed by 20-25% reduction in rainfall under a high emissions scenario. By the same token, the decade of 2081-2090 will experience reductions between 20% to 30%, with even higher depletion of rainfall under the high emissions scenario. During the last decade of the 21st century between 2091-2100, the projected scenarios reveal a decrease in rainfall ranging between 20% -35% (low emissions scenario) when compared to current observed values. At the century approaches end, the scenarios reveal reduction in precipitation that are considerably more pronounced, intense and drastic if compared to the period between 2021-2050. This represents a reduction of 300 mm a year in precipitation in the country.

 

  1. These scenarios represent a complete range of alternative futures for climate in El Salvador. Taking into account the cascading effects that may accompany the climate change scenarios, the country’s economy, society and nature, finds itself having to deal with greater risk and effective occurrence of natural disasters. Not surprisingly, as a result of current climate variability and change, in the form of higher temperatures, reduced rainfall, erratic local, regional and global climate controls, the country is already and will continue to need to manage increased social, economic and environmental pressures across vastly degraded landscapes.

 

The South Ahuachapán landscape

  1. The South-Ahuachapán area, located in the department of Ahuachapán, includes the municipalities of San Francisco Menendez, Jujutla, Guaymango and San Pedro Puxtla (Figure 9), covering an area of 591.73 Km2, with a population of 98,016 people from which 51% are women, and with the majority of the population (77%) residing in rural areas[10].

 

  1. The MARN estimates the South-Ahuachapán as an area of high vulnerability to climate change. Considering its environmental and social characteristics at the landscape level, this part of the country finds itself highly susceptible to the destructive effects of climate variability together with lacking of necessary resources to adequately prepare, respond and recover from natural disasters. This region, contains a significant amount of the population exposed to frequent meteorological drought, while at the same time it is one of El Salvador’s main regions for the production of staple food items (basic grains), as well as other cash crops (sugarcane, coffee).

 

  1. According to the climate change scenarios produced by the MARN, climate variability and change in the region will become more and more evident. This will be reflected through significant increases in average temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
  2. Tree cover accounts for 68% of its total territorial area, distributed as 33% Forest, 29% Shaded coffee and 6% shrubs. Agricultural land accounts for 26% of total area, and it is used for the production of staple grains (maize and beans). The Landscape features strategic natural assets for the country, such as El Imposible National Park, the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Biosphere Reserve, and the RAMSAR site Barra de Santiago comprising an extraordinary biological diversity of ecosystems, species and genes, and their conservation deserve special attention. The primary ecological zones are the humid subtropical forest to the south, very moist subtropical forest, and humid subtropical forest.

 

  1. The area has a complex hydrographic network. Of the 11 hydrographic basins that drain the territory, four of the most important: the rivers La Paz, Banderas, Lempa and Grande in Sonsonate are part of this area. There are 32 rivers in the Barra de Santiago Basin - and the Sub-basins of Cara Sucia and Culiapa. Among the main rivers of the Cara Sucia Sub-basin are El Sacramento, Huiscoyol, El Corozo, Cara Sucia, Mistepe, the Izcanal, Maishtapula, and the Aguachapio rivers. Between the main rivers of the Cuilapa Sub-basin are the Guayapa, Cuilapa, El Naranjo, El Rosario, Cubis, San Antonio, Tihuicha and El Negro rivers. However, a Hydro Analysis of this area carried out in 2007, showed that domestic demand represented 7.41% of total demand, against an irrigation demand of 92.59%, with signs of over-exploitation of the resource in the lower parts of ​​the Cara Sucia Sub-watershed.         

 

  1. Since 1974, the Paz River has abandoned old drainages of the El Aguacate, La Danta and Río Seco channels, causing a process of desiccation and transformation of the wetlands and marshes, with an alteration of the salinity gradients, the reduction of the freshwater flows and the closure of the mangrove swamps of Garita Palmera. This leads to a high susceptibility to flooding in the southern part of the Department. The situation will be further aggravated by the climate change impacts projected to take place in what is already degraded land. Ineffective agricultural and livestock practices have led to high levels of contamination by agrochemicals, which, together with erosion, lead to a deterioration of mangroves with sedimentation and silting of channels, with loss of mangrove hydrodynamic regulation. This situation, threatens and affects artisanal and industrial fishing and local livelihoods. The lack of opportunities leads to migration and weakening of the social fabric in an already vulnerable part of the country.

 

  1. In this region, the mangroves in the lower basin of the river belong to the mangrove ecoregion of the Pacific dry coast (Olson et al., 2001), which extend in patches along the coastal zone of Guatemala and El Salvador. The mangroves and marshes dominate the coasts of estuaries in the coastal plain. The coastal wetlands of Garita Palmera and El Botoncillo are possibly the least known and certainly the most degraded on the coast of El Salvador (MARN - AECI, 2003), and the population that inhabits these ecosystems have livelihoods intimately related to their services. The current conditions of the mangroves in the lower basin of the river are a consequence of the high rate of deforestation and the change in land use throughout the basin, as well as alterations in its hydrological regime, such as decrease of annual flow, flow seasonal shifts, and significant decrease in water budget of River Paz, causing a reduction in the productivity of ecosystems and in their capacity to provide services and benefits to local communities (further contributing to flooding, increased runoff and soil loss).

 

  1. This region is important also for aquifer recharge, specifically for the recharge of the aquifer ESA-01, localized in alluvial materials in south Ahuachapán, in the municipalities of San Francisco Menendez, Jujutla and Acajutla.

 

  1. During the last eight years, this landscape has suffered the adverse impacts of extreme hydro-meteorological events, in some years it experienced Tropical Depressions and Hurricanes, and in other years it suffered meteorological drought with significant damages to infrastructure, agriculture and crops, functioning of ecosystems, and livelihoods. The loss of coverage and inadequate agricultural practices on slopes, have caused a decrease in water regulation capacities with increased runoff, which in turn led to a severe increase in soil erosion rates in the high and middle parts of the basins, an increased risk of landslides and floods; and a decrease in infiltration capacities and aquifer recharge with a decrease in the water supply for different uses. All this has been reflected in large damages to infrastructure and crop loss.

 

  1. The pressure exerted on the forest remnants of the highlands, riparian forests, secondary forests, agroforestry systems and mangroves has also increased the region’s vulnerability to climate change. The reduction of habitat, the loss of ecological connectivity and of critical ecosystem services (i.e. water provision, climate regulation) have caused a chain of processes and negative impacts that increase the vulnerability of this area in the face of more frequent events of heavy rainfall, and prolonged periods of drought. Thus, the loss of natural vegetation cover and the poor land use practices in agriculture, are leading to a continuous decrease in surface and ground water availability, excessive runoff, and a decrease in other water regulation ecosystem services, leading to a significant increase in soil erosion rates. A recent assessment of damages to the agricultural sector in Ahuachapán, pointed out that, due to an extended drought period, the average numbers observed for the harvest of corn and beans (June/July 2015) had a reduction of 94%.

 

  1. Degrading of natural ecosystems, with wide spread effects at the landscape level (including depletion of riparian forests and grasslands) threatens the provision of a wide range of ecosystem services to local communities in the South Ahuachapán. Long and short-term effects of degradation of these ecosystems include:
  1. increased soil erosion as a result of reduced vegetation cover;
  2. reduced infiltration of water in degraded watersheds and catchment areas, thereby resulting in reduced recharge of groundwater and an increased incidence of flooding; 

 

  1. Interventions in the are thus need to focus on helping the landscape to adapt and build resilience to the impacts of climate change, through the protection of the ecosystems and the rehabilitation and conservation of the mosaic of interdependent land uses thus enhancing the landscape’s capacity to manage extreme hydro-meteorological events as well as increased projected temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns. The goods and services generated by healthy or under restoration landscapes, have the potential to mitigate these threats by providing multiple benefits to local communities in the region of South-Ahuachapán, such as the provision of natural resources (food and water)  and regulatory functions, including flood mitigation, water filtration and waste decomposition.

 

Landscape approach to build resilience and adapt to climate change

  1. In 2012, El Salvador developed the National Environmental Policy to help regulate, manage, protect the country’s natural resources, and reverse environmental degradation, while reducing the country’s vulnerability to climate change, which feeds directly into the country’s plans on long-term economic growth and social progress outcomes. A key instrument of the National Environmental Policy is the National Program for the Restoration of Ecosystems and Landscapes (PREP), which is organized in three strategic areas: 1) Restoration, reforestation and inclusive conservation of critical ecosystems such as gallery forests, water recharge areas, slopes, mangroves and other forest ecosystems; 2) The restoration of degraded soils, through the forestation of agricultural systems, the adoption of resilient agroforestry systems and the development of sustainable and climate-resilient and biodiversity-friendly agriculture; 3) Synergistic development of physical infrastructure and natural infrastructure.  Forest landscape restoration is a key part of the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution, and the main strategy to contribute to climate change adaptation, by increasing productivity of landscapes, enhancing the resilience of forest ecosystems, landscapes, agroecosystems, watersheds, and forest‐dependent communities.

 

  1. The PREP comprises immediate and strategic activities, such as the conservation of forest remnants; the restoration of forest ecosystems and agroecosystems, recovering tree coverage in critical sites, working to rehabilitate the landscape; and the maintenance and increase of tree cover in critical areas, particularly in high altitude agroecosystems, and at the watershed level (to control water supply and flow, reducing runoff, landslides and floods). The application of techniques to reduce the speed of the water flow and to increase the capacity of the water retention in the upper sections of the basins and the high zones of the mountain ranges and the protection of the plant cover, have the potential to reduce erosion and the transport of sediment as well as floods. Consequently, it enables to reduce risks associated to extreme hydro-meteorological events. Furthermore, it is expected that the reforestation of the agricultural areas will improve the soil with an increase in organic matter and moisture retention, and therefore, increasing the resistance during water shortage and drought.

 

Identification of priority sites for EBA through restoration in South Ahuachapán 

  1. Information from the PREP was used o  update National Land Use Map, allowing for the identification of key the restoration sites of the country based on the following six criteria: soil conservation and food production; biodiversity and wildlife conservation; protection of ground water and adaptation to drought; adaptation to extreme events and protection against floods and storms; firewood supply and climate regulation.

 

  1. A particular focus was provided to key agroecosystems sites (these account for 60% of the national territory) with the potential land use/cover transitions[11] for restoration also being identified taking into account the different current uses of the soil to allow the recovery of prized ecosystems, through the restoration of their relevant environmental goods and services for adaptation. The potential areas for each transition type comprise a total of 1,001,405 hectares comprising eleven proposed transitions pointing to the high potential for restoration areas in South Ahuachapán.

 

  1. The analysis by MARN has allowed the project to identify the municipality of San Francisco Menendez located in the South Landscape of Ahuachapán, as the target intervention area for restoration investments. The municipality has a territory of 226.13 km2 and a total population of 42,062 of which 30,211 reside in rural areas. The identification of the Municipality of San Francisco Menendez as the area of intervention, was based on an exhaustive analysis of available time series of satellite remote sensing data, together with data and information collected by MARN in-situ.[12]

 

  1. To further characterize the imbalances observed in the region, coming as consequence of intense rainfall and longer dry periods, the prioritization exercise used data from the Monthly Climate and Climatic Water Balance for Global Terrestrial Surfaces Dataset (TerraClimate) to better understand the runoff patterns in San Francisco Menendez.[13] The analysis revealed an upward trend in surface runoff in San Francisco Menendez, starting in 2006 and progressing steadily,  affecting negatively agricultural activities and exacerbating the already damaging effects of extended periods of drought, scarce and localized rainfall patterns in the intervention area. The data and analysis revealed that the lower Rio Paz presents a remarkably consistent pattern of low precipitation and high temperatures over time. Such characteristics have been followed by an increase in the number of extreme whether events (such as heavy rainfall and droughts), leading to below average soil moisture, increased surface runoff, and soil loss. This has been pointed out by an increasing number of recent reports by MARN and international agencies such as USAID, FAO, GIZ, which have identified the Municipality of San Francisco Menendez (entirely located in the Central America Dry Corridor) as extremely susceptible to the Effects of CC. The impacts pointed out by MARN and international organizations working in the area, have been immediately felt in the form of changes in water flow patterns (in the Lower Rio Paz), higher than normal temperatures, erratic rainfall, and low fresh water input into the ocean. This has created an imbalance that will only be exacerbated by CC, affecting agriculture, the natural environment, as well as local livelihoods in the project intervention areas.

 

  1. In San Francisco Menendez, the land under exploitation is dominated by cultivation of crops (46%), followed by seasonal grasslands (30%) and permanent grasslands (15%). The local development plan for the municipality has identified 4,569 Ha of critical ecosystems for restoration by 2030 of which 1,569Ha are agroforestry systems, 2,000 Ha tropical forests and 1,000 Ha being mangrove systems. According to the 2007 Census in the agriculture and livestock sector, the land under exploitation is mainly owned by producers (75%) while 18% of land is leased (Figure 13). There are 80 cooperatives of small producers present in San Francisco Menendez, from those 16 are women led cooperatives.

 

  1. San Francisco Menendez municipality is part of the broader South Ahuachapán landscape that includes the municipalities of Jujutla, Guayamango and San Pedro Puxtla. These municipalities are administratively grouped together through the Association of Municipalities of Microregión Sur with the objective of establishing synergies for their development and for environmental management through concerted actions. Actions along these municipalities is also strategic as these also share access to the same aquifers (Figure 12) thus linking them, at a landscape, administrative and hydrological level. Population for this larger region is 98,016 (49,899 women) of which 75,515 people reside in rural areas.



[1] D. L. Hartmann, a. M. G. K. Tank, and M. Rusticucci, “IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, Climatie Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis,” Ipcc AR5, no. January 2014 (2013): 31–39, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.

[2] IPCC, “Climate Change, Adaptation, and Vulnerability,” Organization & Environment 24, no. March (2014): 1–44, https://doi.org/http://ipcc-wg2.gov/AR5/images/uploads/IPCC_WG2AR5_SPM_A....

[3] Sönke Kreft and David Eckstein, “Global Climate Risk Index 2014,” Germanwatch, 2013, 28, http://germanwatch.org/en/download/8551.pdf.

[4] (Cai et al., 2015; Harger, 1995; Neelin et al., 1998; Takahashi et al., 2011; Torrence and Webster, 1999; Wolter and Timlin, 2011)

[5] Ministry of Economy; General Directorate of Statistics and Census –DIGESTyC; El Salvador: 2014; Estimates and Trends of Municipal Population 2005-2025

[6] STPP and MINEC-DIGESTYC (2015). Multidimensional Measurement of poverty. El Salvador. San Salvador: Technical and Planning Secretariat of the Presidency and the Ministry of Economy, through the General Directorate of Statistics and Census.

Compound Poverty: Takes into account the essential areas for human development and well-being. A total of twenty indicators around five essential well-being dimensions: a) education; b) housing conditions; c) work and social security; d) health, basic services and food security; and e) quality of the habitat.

[7] STPP & MINEC-DIGESTYC, “Medición Multidimensional de La Pobreza. El Salvador.,” San Salvador: Secretaría Técnica y de Planificación de La Presidencia y Ministerio de Economía, a Través de La Dirección General de Estadística y Censos., 2015.

[8] Minerva Campos et al., “Estrategias de Adaptación Al Cambio Climático En Dos Comunidades Rurales de México y El Salvador,” Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change in Two Rural Communities in Mexico and El Salvador, no. 61 (2013): 329–49, http://www.boletinage.com/61/16-CAMPOS.pdf.

[9] For example, accumulated rainfall in the southeast area of the country was less than 10 mm, representing a 95% deficit from average rainfall

[10] Almanaque 262. State of human development in the municipalities of El Salvador, 2009.

[11] Defined as the non-linear land use change process associated with societal and biophysical system changes.

[12] The analysis was conducted using Google Earth Engine, allowing the production of wall-to-wall spatially explicit information at multiple spatial scales. The analysis included Climate models generated by both long-term climate predictions and historical interpolations of surface variables, including historical reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR, gridded meteorological datasets such as the NLDAS-2, and GridMET, and climate model outputs like the University of Idaho MACAv2-METDATA and the NASA Earth Exchange’s Downscaled Climate Projections. The prioritization also included the analysis of spatially-explicit land surface variables over time, such as: Evapotranspiration/Latent Heat Flux product (8-day composite product produced at 500 meter pixel resolution), providing information on the hydrologic cycle, which has direct and significant influence on agriculture cycles in the region, as well as the amount of solar radiation, atmospheric vapor pressure, temperature, wind, and soil moisture available. The prioritization also included analysis of salinity anomalies using the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model, Water Temperature and Salinity (HYCOM) (Revealing that salinity has not been decreasing as result of local meteorological processes over the past several years). The analysis also included Long-Term drough Severity estimations using the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), which has been effective in effective in determining long-term drought in the intervention area. The PDSI data and analysis considers surface air temperature and a physical water balance models, taking into account the observed effects of increasingly warm temperatures, and high evapotranspiration, leading to systemic imbalances affecting local hydrological cycles (refer back to Figure 13).

[13] This dataset and analysis considers runoff as the excess of liquid water supply (precipitation) used by monthly Evapotranspiration and soil moisture recharge and is derived using a one-dimensional soil water balance model and it correlates well to measured streamflow from a number of watersheds globally.

 

Contacts: 
UNDP
Montserrat Xilotl
Regional Technical Adviser, Climate Change Adaptation
Location: 
Signature programmes: 
Project status: 
News and Updates: 

 

Display Photo: 
Expected Key Results and Outputs (Summary): 

Component 1. Ecosystem-based adaptation for enhanced resilience at a territorial level

Component 2. Alternative and adapted livelihoods identified and made viable for resilient livelihoods

Component 3. Regional Climate and Hydrological Monitoring for Enhanced Adaptation Planning

Component 4. Strengthening of inter-institutional coordination and local governance for landscape management in the face of climate variability and change

 

 

 

Project Dates: 
2021 to 2024
Timeline: 
Month-Year: 
Oct 2019
Description: 
AF Board Approval
Month-Year: 
Jun 2021
Description: 
Project launch/inception workshop
Proj_PIMS_id: 
6238
SDGs: 
SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 15 - Life On Land

Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Resilience Project

Liberia’s capital city Monrovia is extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise and the increased frequency of high-intensity storms. These climate change-related impacts are contributing to coastal erosion and shoreline retreat, putting lives and livelihoods at risk, and affecting efforts by the Government of Liberia to reach the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.

Compounding these issues, sea-level rise and urban encroachment into the Mesurado Wetland in the center of Monrovia threatens the sustainability the ecosystem services and fisheries in the region.

To address these challenges, the Green Climate Fund-financed “Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Resilience Project” will enhance coastal protection, foster improved coastal management and present local communities with diversified climate-resilient livelihoods. In this way, the project will build the long-term climate resilience of coastal communities in Liberia by both addressing immediate adaptation priorities and creating an enabling environment for upscaling coastal adaptation initiatives to other parts of Monrovia and Liberia.

The project will directly benefit a total of approximately 250,000 people through coastal defense, enhanced livelihoods, and improved protection of mangrove ecosystems. In addition, the project will indirectly benefit approximately 1 million people through the adoption of a transformative, climate risk-informed Integrated Coastal Zone Management approach for Liberia, with the first phase of implementation focused on the Monrovia Metropolitan Area (MMA). The combination of direct and indirect beneficiaries under this project will ultimately confer adaptation benefits on one quarter of the total population of Liberia.

English
Region/Country: 
Level of intervention: 
Coordinates: 
POINT (-10.749755961229 6.3051065918459)
Primary beneficiaries: 
250,000 direct beneficiaries, 1 million indirect beneficiaries
Funding source: 
Financing amount: 
US$17.2 million (Green Climate Fund)
Co-financing total: 
US$8.4 million (Government of Liberia)
Project Details: 

Liberia’s capital city, Monrovia[1], is extremely vulnerable to the climate change impacts of sea-level rise (SLR) and the increasing frequency of high-intensity storms, both of which contribute to coastal erosion and shoreline retreat. SLR is a significant contributor to accelerated coastal erosion, and along with the increasing intensity of offshore storms and waves, exacerbates coastal erosion, the impacts of which result in significant damage to buildings and infrastructure in Monrovia’s coastal zone. Additionally, SLR is threatening the sustainability of ecosystem services provided by mangroves in the Mesurado Wetland[2] at the centre of the Monrovia Metropolitan Area (MMA), which is further exacerbated by urban encroachment into, and over-exploitation of the mangroves. These changes negatively impact the habitat for economically important fish species and the loss of these nursery areas will have a considerable impact on the fishery-based livelihoods of approximately 55,000 Monrovians, 46% of whom are women.

The most vulnerable part of the MMA coast is West Point, an impoverished and densely-populated informal settlement situated on a narrow spit between the coast and the Mesurado Wetland, with dwellings built up to the shoreline. In the last decade[3], coastal erosion has caused the shoreline to regress by 30 m, leading to the loss of 670 dwellings and threatening public spaces and boat launching sites that are critical to fishery-based livelihoods. Without intervention — and with the added impact of climate change — coastal erosion is expected to cause further shoreline regression of 190 m by 2100. This is equivalent to an additional 110% more than the coastal retreat expected under a non-climate change or baseline scenario[4].

To adapt to the severe impacts of climate change on Monrovia’s coast, it is necessary to change the current approach to addressing the impacts of climate change from a focus on short-term solutions to long-term integrated and participatory planning that involves the public sector, private sector and communities at all levels of governance. The project is requesting GCF support to address barriers to effective climate change adaptation in the coastal zone of Monrovia, and Liberia more generally, through interventions in three inter-related focus areas: i) coastal protection; ii) coastal management; and iii) diversified climate-resilient livelihoods. In this way, the proposed project will build the long-term climate resilience of coastal communities in Liberia by both addressing immediate adaptation priorities and creating an enabling environment for upscaling coastal adaptation initiatives to other parts of Monrovia and Liberia.

The project will address one of the most urgent adaptation needs in Monrovia by constructing a rock revetment to protect West Point against coastal erosion and storms. The revetment was selected as the preferred solution, because while a ‘soft solution’ in the form of beach nourishment with an associated groyne was considered technically feasible, the sustainability of this option would be limited, because the regular maintenance required was not feasible in the local context[5]. From an infrastructural perspective, the project will protect and build the climate resilience of approximately 10,800 people in West Point and avoid damages of up to USD 47 million to the individual and communal property of West Point residents as well as securing launch sites for fishing boats which will have a positive impact on the fisheries sector. The construction of this coastal protection infrastructure will form part of a strategic, cohesive coastal adaptation strategy using an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) approach.

The paradigm shift necessary for adopting an evidence-based and participatory ICZM approach across Liberia will be facilitated by the proposed project through initiatives to strengthen the technical and institutional capacity of the government and communities to adapt to the rapidly changing coastal landscape and to undertake long-term, climate-responsive planning on the coast. Based on quantitative, defensible scientific data in coastal management and planning, the proposed project will develop a national-scale high-resolution multi-criteria vulnerability map and design a national ICZM Plan (ICZMP) for Liberia in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including the private sector. By fostering partnerships among government institutions and between the Government of Liberia (GoL), private sector actors, research institutions and communities, the project will improve coordination on coastal management and create an enabling environment for ongoing coastal adaptation beyond the project area and after the project implementation period.

The project will increase local adaptive capacity by strengthening gender- and climate-sensitive livelihoods and protecting mangroves in the Mesurado Wetland within Monrovia. Specifically, adaptative capacity in Monrovia will be increased by: i) safeguarding ecosystem services provided by mangroves and increasing the resilience of these ecosystems to climate change, through community co-management agreements between government and communities; ii) improving community knowledge on climate change impacts and adaptation practices; and iii) strengthening climate-sensitive livelihoods and supporting the uptake of climate-resilient livelihoods. This is an important element of the integrated approach because while the development of ICZMP will improve coastal management at an institutional level, limited institutional capacity in Liberia means that capacitating communities to engage positive adaptation strategies is critical to ensure an increase in their long-term climate resilience. The latter two activities will be based at the innovation and education centre — to be established in West Point. In addition to being the focal point for climate-resilient livelihood development, the innovation and education centre will act as a hub for awareness-raising and other community-led actions being implemented under the project[6]. An exit strategy and O&M plan (Annex 21) will ensure that the proposed project activities will be sustained in the long-term[7].

These investments by the GCF and the Government of Liberia (GoL) will catalyse a paradigm shift in the management of Monrovia’s coastal zone towards an integrated, transformative and proactive approach that addresses current and anticipated climate change risks and which mixes both infrastructure (where necessary) and coastal ecosystems in adaptation efforts. This will directly benefit a total of ~250,000 people in the communities of West Point through coastal defence and enhanced livelihoods; and through enhanced livelihoods and improved protection of mangrove ecosystems in the communities of Topoe Village; Plonkor and Fiamah; and Nipay Town and Jacob’s Town. In addition, the project will indirectly benefit approximately one million[8] people through the adoption of a transformative, climate risk-informed ICZM approach for Liberia, with the first phase of implementation focused on the Monrovia Metropolitan Area (MMA). The combination of direct and indirect beneficiaries under this project will ultimately confer adaptation benefits on one quarter of the total population of Liberia.




[1] In this proposal, ‘Monrovia’ and the ‘Monrovian Metropolitan Area’ (MMA) are used interchangeably to refer to the jurisdictional or administrative entity of the MMA.

[2] the estuary of the Mesurado River

[3] 2008 to 2018

[4] See Annex 2.B (Vulnerability Sub-assessment) for Economic and Financial Analysis of Monrovia Metropolitan Area, and specifically West Point.

[5] Stabilising or ‘fixing’ the shoreline by means of a rock revetment is the preferred solution to coastal erosion at West Point by both the Government of Libera and affected communities. This approach also represents the most socially sensitive design because it requires low-to-no maintenance while still accommodating boat launching and landing. A rubble mound revetment with rock armour, which is able to withstand extreme wave conditions and storm events, is proposed. The Engineering Sub-assessment Report (Annex 2.C) showed that the northern portion of the proposed revetment is a less dynamic wave environment, and the conceptual design for this portion of the intervention site consequently proposes lighter rock armour. The ‘toe’ of the structure will consist of a resistant geotextile and will be anchored in the existing beach sediment to a level of 5m below mean sea-level to account for future deepening of the area directly in front of the revetment. A six-metre wide promenade, for access to the shoreline and recreation activities, is proposed between the revetment and existing dwellings at West Point. Two boat launching and landing sites are proposed as part of the preferred option at the southern end and centre of the revetment, respectively. These launch and landing sites will be provided in addition to the open beach area to the north of the proposed revetment, where fishing boats are already launching and landing. Further details on the stakeholder engagement process that led to this decision is available in Annex 2.A Feasibility Study, Section 10.2 Analysis of coastal defence options.

[6] Recognising the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic, all project activities will operate strictly within government mandated regulations and best practices. All government directives, such as lockdowns and mandatory quarantine will be adhered to, as will any restrictions on travel, organisation of events or sizes of meetings and workshops.

[7] Further information on the exit strategy and sustainability of the proposed project can be found in Section B.6.

[8] Direct benefits will accrue at the site-specific scale, whereas indirect benefits will accrue at the municipal scale — i.e. the population of MMA, which is estimated at one million people.

 

Expected Key Results and Outputs: 

Output 1: Protection of coastal communities and infrastructure at West Point against erosion caused by sea-level rise and increasingly frequent high-intensity storms.

Activity 1.1: Prepare construction plan and finalise technical design specifications for coastal defence structure at West Point.

Activity 1.2: Construct coastal defence structure to protect West Point against climate change-induced coastal erosion.
 

Output 2: Institutional capacity building and policy support for the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) across Liberia.

Activity 2.1: Develop an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan for Liberia.

Activity 2.2: Capacitate the Cross-Sectoral Working Group to mainstream ICZM into relevant government sectors through a Training-of-Trainers approach.

Activity 2.3: Strengthen the asset base and technical capacity of the ICZMU for the collection of spatial and biophysical coastal information to support the implementation of the ICZMP.

Activity 2.4: Strengthen the existing Environmental Knowledge Management System (EKMS) to act as a platform for awareness-raising and sharing of climate risk-informed ICZM approach.

Activity 2.5: Conduct an awareness-raising campaign for communities in focus areas on climate change impacts and adaptation practices.


Output 3: Protecting mangroves and strengthening gender- and climate-sensitive livelihoods to build local climate resilience in Monrovia.

Activity 3.1: Establish a community education and innovation centre to function as a community knowledge generation and learning hub, a repository on climate change adaptation practices and host community activities under Output 3.

Activity 3.2: Establish community-led co-management agreement to ease anthropogenic pressure on mangroves in the MMA.

Activity 3.3: Conduct annual assessments to evaluate the project-induced changes in mangrove degradation, community perceptions and awareness of climate change impacts, adaptation options and mangrove ecosystems throughout the project implementation period.

Activity 3.4: Establish small-scale manufacturing facilities and develop training material to capacitate community members to manufacture and sell cookstoves to support alternative climate-resilient livelihoods.

Activity 3.5: Purchase and install low-maintenance eco-friendly cold storage facilities near fish processing sites to reduce pressure on mangroves and increase market efficiency

Contacts: 
UNDP
Muyeye Chambwera
Regional Technical Advisor
Climate-related hazards addressed: 
Location: 
Signature programmes: 
Project status: 
News and Updates: 

                                                     

 

 

Display Photo: 
Expected Key Results and Outputs (Summary): 
Output 1: Protection of coastal communities and infrastructure at West Point against erosion caused by sea-level rise and increasingly frequent high-intensity storms.
Output 2: Institutional capacity building and policy support for the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) across Liberia.
Output 3: Protecting mangroves and strengthening gender- and climate-sensitive livelihoods to build local climate resilience in Monrovia.

 

Project Dates: 
2021 to 2027
Timeline: 
Month-Year: 
March 2021
Description: 
GCF Board approval
Month-Year: 
Dec 2021
Description: 
Inception workshop
Proj_PIMS_id: 
5739
SDGs: 
SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13 - Climate Action

Adaptation Initiative for Climate Vulnerable Offshore Small Islands and Riverine Charland in Bangladesh

Because of its geographical location, major rivers and low-lying deltaic terrain, Bangladesh is highly exposed to the impacts of both slow and rapid-onset climate-driven disasters, including sea-level rise, saline intrusion, cyclones, storm surges, floods, extreme heat and droughts.

Its vulnerability is increased by local dependency on agricultural livelihoods - agriculture in Bangladesh still provides employment to over 43% of the country’s workforce and 60% of all employed women - and low adaptive capacity within the government and communities. Char (island) communities face a particularly high level of exposure to natural disasters.

Led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with technical support from UNDP, the five-year project Adaptation Initiative for Climate Vulnerable Offshore Small Islands and Riverine Charland in Bangladesh will:

  • Roll out cyclone and flood-resistant homes and livelihood practices for vulnerable households living on the target chars (islands);
  • Build and repair local infrastructure such as embankments, rainwater harvesting systems for safe drinking water and home-garden irrigation, and install community nano-grids for electrification;
  • Improve cyclone preparedness and response, including risk mapping and expanded early warning systems; and
  • Build the capacity of local and national government and communities in realising climate-resilient development on chars.

 

An estimated 341,000 people (31,000 direct beneficiaries and 310,000 indirect beneficiaries) living on chars in the districts of Rangpur and Bhola are expected to benefit. 

The project is expected to begin implementation in late 2019.

English
Region/Country: 
Financing amount: 
US$9,995,369 (Adaptation Fund)
Project Details: 

Resources sought from the Adaptation Fund (AF) will be invested in four components. Firstly, it will assist households to enhance the resilience of their houses and livelihoods to climate change-induced flooding, cyclones, saline intrusion and droughts. Secondly, it will improve community-level infrastructure, including embankments with modern climate-resilient technology and effective local management practices. Thirdly, it will assist the Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP)1 under Disaster Management Department, to enhance its activities in the remote coastal char targeted by the project, in order to provide timely early warnings and effective emergency response. This will be done by expanding the programme’s coverage in the area, modernising its equipment, and making it fully gendersensitive. Finally, the technology, approaches and knowledge generated by the project will be used to build the capacity of the local and national government; and communities to make climate-resilient investments and policies.

The project will address the knowledge technical, financial and institutional barriers to climate-resilient housing, infrastructure and livelihoods, with interventions benefiting an estimated ~341,000 people (~31,000 direct beneficiaries and 310,000 indirect beneficiaries) living on chars in the districts of Rangpur and Bhola. Spanning over five years, the project will be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change following UNDP’s National Implementation Modality.

The project will contribute towards the achievement of the Government of Bangladesh’s national priorities as outlined in the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Six of the ten near-term areas of intervention identified by the first NDC will be addressed by the project, namely: i) food security, livelihood and health protection, including water security; ii) comprehensive disaster management; iii) coastal zone management, including saline intrusion control; iv) flood control and erosion protection; v) climate-resilient infrastructure; and vi) increased rural electrification. Furthermore, the project is directly aligned with seven of the fourteen broad adaptation actions prioritised by the first NDC, namely: i) improved early warning systems; ii) disaster preparedness and shelters; iii) protection against tropical cyclones and storm surges; iv) provision of climate-resilient infrastructure and communication; v) provision of climate-resilient housing; vi) stress-tolerant crop variety improvement and cultivation; and vii) capacity building at individual and institutional level to plan and implement adaptation programmes and projects.

This project has been developed through extensive stakeholder consultations, including with communities in the selected islands, civil society and with the GoB (see Annex C). The design of the project has been reviewed as per the Government of Bangladesh’s internal process, led by the Adaptation Fund Designated Authority and involving relevant government ministries.

Expected Key Results and Outputs: 

Component 1. Enhanced climate resilience of households through climate-resilient housing, electrification and climate-proof water provisioning

Output 1.1. Cyclone and flood resilient houses for the most vulnerable households are supported. 

Output 1.2. Community-level nano-grids installed for electrification to enhance adaptive capacity. 

Output 1.3. Locally appropriate rainwater harvesting systems for safe drinking water and home-garden irrigation installed. 

Component 2. Increased climate resilience of communities through climate-resilient infrastructure, climate risk mapping and inclusive cyclone preparedness.

Output 2.1. Climate-resilient infrastructure built to protect life and prevent asset loss. 

Output 2.2. Embankments repaired and innovative model for community embankment management introduced.  

Output 2.3. Climate-resilient investment on chars promoted through climate hazard maps and expanded cyclone early warning systems. 

Output 2.4. Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) modernised, made gender-responsive, and expanded to provide timely cyclone early warning and response at scale.

Component 3: Improved income and food security of communities by innovating and providing assistance to selected households for climateresilient livelihoods practices

Output 3.1 Climate-resilient agriculture implemented and supported at a community level. 

Output 3.2 Diversified livelihoods developed and supported for the most vulnerable households. 

Component 4. Enhanced knowledge and capacity of communities, government and policymakers to promote climate resilient development on chars

Output 4.1. Local government institutions are capable of climate risk-informed planning and implementation.

Output 4.2. Knowledge and awareness generated to promote climate resilient approaches and strategies. 

Monitoring & Evaluation: 

Monitoring and evaluation will examine the impact, outcomes, processes and activities of the project with key evaluations undertaken and the start and on a quarterly basis, with an annual Project Performance Report (PPR) delivered to the donor each year.

Periodic monitoring will be conducted through site visits by the UNDP Country Office and the UNDP RCU, based on the agreed schedule in the project's Inception Report/Annual Work Plan, to assess first-hand project progress.

The project will undergo an independent Mid-Term Evaluation at the mid-point (in the third year) of project implementation. 

An independent Final Terminal Evaluation will take place three months prior to the final Project Board meeting and will be undertaken in accordance with UNDP and Adaptation Fund guidelines. 

Contacts: 
Lianchawii Chhakchhuak
Regional Technical Advisor, Climate Change Adaptation, UNDP
Arif Mohammad Faisal
Programme Specialist, UNDP Bangladesh
Climate-related hazards addressed: 
Location: 
Project status: 
Map Caption: 

The project will address the knowledge technical, financial and institutional barriers to climate-resilient housing, infrastructure and livelihoods, with interventions benefiting an estimated ~341,000 people (~31,000 direct beneficiaries and 310,000 indirect beneficiaries) living on chars in the districts of Rangpur and Bhola.

News and Updates: 

-

Display Photo: 
Expected Key Results and Outputs (Summary): 

Component 1. Enhanced climate resilience of households through climate-resilient housing, electrification and climate-proof water provisioning

Output 1.1. Cyclone and flood resilient houses for the most vulnerable households are supported. 

Output 1.2. Community-level nano-grids installed for electrification to enhance adaptive capacity. 

Output 1.3. Locally appropriate rainwater harvesting systems for safe drinking water and home-garden irrigation installed. 

Component 2. Increased climate resilience of communities through climate-resilient infrastructure, climate risk mapping and inclusive cyclone preparedness.

Output 2.1. Climate-resilient infrastructure built to protect life and prevent asset loss. 

Output 2.2. Embankments repaired and innovative model for community embankment management introduced. 

Output 2.3. Climate-resilient investment on chars promoted through climate hazard maps and expanded cyclone early warning systems.

Output 2.4. Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) modernised, made gender-responsive, and expanded to provide timely cyclone early warning and response at scale.

Component 3: Improved income and food security of communities by innovating and providing assistance to selected households for climateresilient livelihoods practices

Output 3.1 Climate-resilient agriculture implemented and supported at a community level.

Output 3.2 Diversified livelihoods developed and supported for the most vulnerable households. 

Component 4. Enhanced knowledge and capacity of communities, government and policymakers to promote climate resilient development on chars

Output 4.1. Local government institutions are capable of climate risk-informed planning and implementation.

Output 4.2. Knowledge and awareness generated to promote climate resilient approaches and strategies. 

Project Dates: 
2019 to 2024
Timeline: 
Month-Year: 
March 2019
Description: 
Adaptation Fund project approval
Proj_PIMS_id: 
6172

De-Risking and Scaling-Up Investment in Energy Efficient Building Retrofits - Armenia

This 6-year project (2017 - 2023) is focused on building the market for energy efficient building retrofits in Armenia, leading to sizeable energy savings and GHG emission reductions (up to 5.8 million tons of carbon dioxide of direct and indirect emission savings over the 20-year equipment lifetimes). It will also lead to green job creation and energy poverty reduction.

The project will catalyse private and public sector investment of approximately US$100 million. More than 200,000 people will directly benefit.

 

English
Region/Country: 
Level of intervention: 
Coordinates: 
POINT (44.956054650701 40.094006769254)
Primary beneficiaries: 
210,000 direct beneficiaries, 1700 jobs will be created, 1.4 million tons of carbon will be offset
Funding source: 
Financing amount: 
US$20 million (GCF grant)
Co-financing total: 
US$9.8 million (US$8 million from Municipality of Yerevan, US$0.4 million from Ministry of Nature Protection, US$1.4 million from UNDP according to GCF website)
Project Details: 

Armenia is a small, poor, land-locked country in the heart of Eurasia, and is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Unsustainable energy use in buildings underpins Armenia’s closely intertwined development, security and climate-related challenges. Approximately 30% of Armenian households are energy-poor, where energy poverty (often called ‘fuel poverty’) is defined as households spending more than 10% of their budgets on energy. Some 45% of apartments in multi-family buildings have indoor temperatures in winter below 19°C (i.e. below established international standards for human occupancy). About 50% of energy use in buildings depends on imported fossil fuels, and 4% of CO2 emissions come from energy use in buildings. With this in mind, over 50% of energy can be saved via energy efficient retrofits

Improving energy efficiency (EE) in buildings has been assigned the highest priority in Armenia’s housing, energy and climate strategies, including the country’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), its Third National Communication to the UNFCCC and its UNFCCC Technology Needs Assessment.

UNDP will work with the Government, city administrations, the European Investment Bank, private sector stakeholders, ESCOs and local banks to deploy the most cost-effective combination of policy and financial de-risking instruments and targeted financial incentives to address market barriers and achieve a risk-return profile for energy efficient building retrofits that can attract private investments. The project builds on UNDP’s long experience supporting the Government of Armenia and on UNDP’s de-risking framework for low-carbon investment. It has the full backing of Armenia’s National Designated Authority (NDA) for the GCF, the UNFCCC National Focal Point, and the Municipality of Yerevan (home to one-third of Armenia’s population). The project is fully consistent with Armenia’s INDC.

Expected Key Results and Outputs: 

Component 1 will establish building sector Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) and knowledge management. One of the identified barriers is a lack of information and awareness: energy efficiency is not a major concern for most people in Armenia. There is a low level of awareness among building owners, real estate agencies and occupants about operational costs and potential energy- and money-saving opportunities. There is also a misinformed perception that full compliance with efficient building codes and energy-efficient buildings would be prohibitively expensive in Armenia. The market for EE products and services is immature. Robust MRV will build the investment case for energy efficiency retrofits and, together with the dissemination of information, will support the communication of the financial and development gains to be made from energy efficiency investments, thus improving information availability and awareness of the benefits of buildings with improved energy performance.

Component 2 will support national, sub-national and local authorities to adopt and implement an enabling policy framework for energy efficiency retrofits. This will remove a number of policy, legal and institutional barriers through supporting legal reform, the introduction and implementation of regulation, and the modernisation and enforcement of standards. Component 2 will also remove technical and capacity barriers by providing technical assistance to selected market players, such as building owners / managers / owner associations and local government.

Component 3 will provide access to affordable capital for energy efficiency retrofits. This will help remove financial barriers, such as the fact that home-owners and public sector entities lack the financial resources necessary to undertake EE building retrofits without loans and the reluctance of local commercial banks to provide loans for EE renovation.

Component 4 grants from the GCF will be offered as a temporary targeted incentive. They will be targeted and will address the needs of the most vulnerable households. The financial analysis shows that, for those earning less than the median household income of US$400 per month, building retrofits are not affordable. For middle- and higher-income households, grants are not needed from an affordability point of view, and will only be used at a low level to overcome early-mover barriers. The grants will support poor and vulnerable households to secure access to improved thermal comfort and cost / energy savings. Incentive grants for low-income households are also needed to unlock building-level investments, as these households might otherwise block building-level investment decisions in multi-apartment buildings.

Signature programmes: 
Project status: 
Display Photo: 
Expected Key Results and Outputs (Summary): 

Component 1: Establishment of building sector Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV): Robust MRV for the building sector established

Component 2: Policy de-risking: National, sub-national and local authorities adopt and implement an enabling policy framework for EE retrofits

Component 3: Financial de-risking: Access to affordable capital for EE retrofits provided

Component 4: Financial incentives: Affordability of EE retrofits for the most vulnerable households ensured through targeted financial incentives to building / apartment owners (directly or via private-sector ESCOs)

Proj_PIMS_id: 
5684
Photo Caption: 
Levon Vardanyan on Unsplash

Integrated Flood Management to Enhance Climate Resilience of the Vaisigano River Catchment in Samoa

As a Small Island Developing State in the Pacific, Samoa has been heavily impacted by increasing severe tropical storms. In response, the Government of Samoa has adopted a programmatic approach to address the issue of climate change-induced flooding .
 
As part of this programme, the Integrated Flood Management to Enhance Climate Resilience of the Vaisigano River Catchment in Samoa project (2017 - 2024) will enable the Government to reduce the impact of recurrent flood-related impacts in the Vaisigano river catchment. The river flows through the Apia Urban Area (AUA), Samoa’s primary urban economic area.
 
The primary direct beneficiaries include approximately 26,528 people in the Vaisigano river catchment who will benefit from upgraded infrastructure and drainage downstream, integrated planning and capacity strengthening, including planning for flooding caused by extreme weather events, and flood mitigation measures especially riverworks and ecosystems solutions in the Vaisigano River Catchment. Overall, 37,000 people will also benefit indirectly. The economic net present value of the proposed investment project has been estimated to reach approximately US$15.6 million, and to yield an economic internal rate of return of approximately 15.5%. The project is expected to run from 2017-2023.
English
Photos: 
Region/Country: 
Level of intervention: 
Key collaborators: 
Coordinates: 
POINT (-168.57421877011 -13.228535498555)
Primary beneficiaries: 
26,528 people living in the Vaisigano River Catchment in Samoa
Funding source: 
Financing amount: 
US$65.7 million total. US$57.7 million from Green Climate Fund, US$8 million from Government of Samoa (as detailed in the ProDoc, Dec 2016)

In Samoa, Vaisigano River Wall protects local residents during flooding event on December 18 2020

The Vaisigano River Wall, built under the GEF-funded Economy Wide Adaptation to Climate Change (EWACC) Project and continued with GCF funding, has proven to be a lifesaver for hundreds of residents in the area. This was especially highlighted during the recent floods that inundated most of the surrounding areas.

Vaisigano Catchment Project - Upstream from Leone village to Lelata village | December 2019

Baseline drone footage going upstream from Leone bridge to Lelata bridge. Associated with project 'Integrated Flood Management to Enhance Climate Resilience of the Vaisigano River Catchment in Samoa'.

Vaisigano Catchment Project (GCF-VCP) - Short film | August 2020

This 15-minute short film provides background and a baseline for the UNDP-supported GCF-funded project 'Integrated Flood Management to Enhance Climate Resilience of the Vaisigano River Catchment Area in Samoa’ (also known as the Vaisigano Catchment Project, or GCF-VCP), including an overview of the outcomes, outputs, main implementing agencies and beneficiaries (residents of the 31 villages and communities within the Vaisigano River Catchment Area).

Managing floods and enhancing climate resilience in Samoa

As a small island developing state in the Pacific, Samoa has been heavily impacted by increasing severe tropical storms.

 

Project Details: 

GCF resources will be used to implement a combination of integrated watershed and flood management works including both hard and soft measures. This includes upgrading river works to cater to increased water flows during flood events (taking into account the likelihood of the increased frequency of extreme events), ensuring that infrastructure works, and home dwellings, government and private-sector buildings are made more secure and provide adequate shelter in case of floods and their aftermaths. Additionally, the project will ensure that when floodwaters occur, the excess waters are channeled away through an effective, efficient, and fit-for-purpose drainage system. The project will consequently play a critical role in assisting the urban population and economy to effectively manage the inevitable increased intensity and frequency of flooding.

Direct benefits from these interventions include reduced risk of damage to public and private infrastructure/assets; reduced possibility of loss of life; and enhanced land value in flood-prone areas. Indirect benefits include reduced losses in income/sales; reduced costs of clean-ups, maintenance and repairs; reduced costs of relief and response efforts; and reduced possibility of health hazards. In addition to these 26,000 direct beneficiaries, the general population of Samoa will benefit from the safeguarding of critical economic assets and learning that will be generated.

In addition, mid and upstream ecosystem and community-based adaptation measures will enhance capture, infiltration, storage and delayed release of rainwater in soils and biomass, and water retention ponds will serve both climate-smart agribusiness development and combat degradation of vulnerable ecosystems through appropriate agro-forestry land-use practices.

Addressing Climate Change in Samoa

Recent extreme events have resulted in approximately US$200 million worth of damages during each event. Climate projections for Samoa suggest that the risk of climate induced events will increase, potentially undermining development progress in urban Apia where the majority of the population and economic activity is located.

Given the topography of the country, extreme events result in significant river discharge that results in flooding of lowland areas. Recent tropical events such as Cyclone Evan have caused significant damage to both public and private assets as a result of flooding, resulting in serious health impacts. Urban infrastructure has suffered considerably from the recurrence of flooding and is unable to cope as climate change-related events are expected to become more frequent and intense.

Projected climate change scenarios cited by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) suggest that Samoa is expected to have more frequent and extreme rainfall events; more frequent and longer drought events; increased air and water temperatures; sea level rise; and more frequent extreme wind events.

 

Expected Key Results and Outputs: 

The project represents the Government of Samoa’s initial steps in operationalizing a comprehensive flood management solution for the likely consequences of extreme events in Apia, the capital with about 80,000 people. In this project, three interlinked project outputs will be pursued:

  • Capacities and information base strengthened for the Government of Samoa to pursue an integrated approach to reduce vulnerability towards flood-related risks;
  • Key infrastructure in the Vaisigano River Catchment are flood-proofed to increase resilience to negative effects of excessive water; and
  • Upgraded drainage in downstream areas to increase capacity and allow for more rapid outflow of flood waters.
Monitoring & Evaluation: 


Contacts: 
UNDP
Aishath Azza
Regional Technical Advisor - Climate Change Adaptation
Climate-related hazards addressed: 
Location: 
Funding Source Short Code: 
gcf
Project status: 
Programme Meetings and Workshops: 


News and Updates: 

'Launching of the Flood Alert Sirens (a first of its kind in Samoa) within the vicinity of the Vaisigano River Catchment Area', Government of Samoa, November 29 2022

'CSSP Market Day for Beneficiaries of the Green Climate Fund-Vaisigano Catchment Project (GCF-VCP) Ecosystem based Enterprise Development Programme (EbAEDP)', Government of Samoa, September 8 2022

'Celebrating the women at the helm of Samoa’s biggest ever climate change and disaster resilient project on International Women’s Day', March 8, 2019.

Monthly Project Newsletter, Issue 1, July 2019.

'Rebuilding the Lelata Bridge to be tougher and higher', Samoa Observer, January 23, 2019.

'GCF Vaisigano River Catchment Site Visit with Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and Director of UNDP's Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific, Haoliang Xu', UNDP Samoa Facebook, June 2018.

'Samoa kicks off climate adaptation project to benefit 1 in 3 citizens facing flood risk' UNDP, October 25, 2017. In the lead up to COP climate talks in Bonn, the launch of a Green Climate Fund-financed US$65 million project signals strong global support for climate-resilient development in Small Island Developing States. 

'Green Climate Fund Samoa project launch and inception workshop' - UNDP Samoa, August 21, 2017. The Government of Samoa, through the Ministry of Finance, and the United Nations Development Program held joint events for the GCF-funded project, 'Integrated Flood Management to Enhance Climate Resilience for the Vaisigano River Catchment' . The workshop presented the work plan for the project and prioritized activities ahead.
 

'Every dollar counts in fight against climate change - New GCF Funding for Samoa' - Samoa Observer, December 16, 2016. Op-ed celebrating Somoa's recently approved US$58 million Green Climate Fund project.

'Director General hails meeting outcome' -  Samoa Observer, December 15, 2016. The Director General of the Vailima-based Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P), Leota Kosi Latu, has hailed the outcome of Green Climate Fund Board meeting in Apia. With three multi-million projects proposed by Pacific...
 
 

YouTube

 

Learn more about the climate challenges facing Samoa, and how UNDP is working to address those challenges and reduce risks.

Information in French / Informations en français: 


Display Photo: 
Subtitle: 

Flood Management in Samoa

About (Summary): 
As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) in the Pacific, Samoa has been heavily impacted by increasing severe tropical storms. In response, the Government of Samoa has adopted a programmatic approach to address the issue of climate change induced flooding in Samoa. As part of this programme, the Integrated Flood Management to Enhance Climate Resilience of the Vaisigano River Catchment in Samoa project will enable the Government of Samoa to reduce the impact of recurrent flood-related impacts in the Vaisigano river catchment. The river flows through the Apia Urban Area (AUA), Somoa’s primary urban economic area.
Expected Key Results and Outputs (Summary): 

Output 1. Strengthening capacities and mechanisms for integrated approach to reduce flood-related risks in place.

 

Output 2. Key infrastructure in the Vaisigano River Catchment are flood-proofed to increase resilience to negative effects of excessive water.

 
 
Output 3. Drainage in downstream areas upgraded for increased regulation of water flows.
 

 

Civil Society Engagement: 


Timeline: 
Month-Year: 
Sep 2016
Description: 
GCF FP Submission (first)
Month-Year: 
Nov 2016
Description: 
GCF FP Submission (last)
Month-Year: 
Dec 2016
Description: 
GCF Board Approval
Month-Year: 
Jul 2017
Description: 
FAA Effectiveness
Month-Year: 
Aug 2017
Description: 
Disbursement Request Submission
Month-Year: 
Aug 2017
Description: 
Actual Date of First Installment (from GCF)
Month-Year: 
Oct 2017
Description: 
Inception Workshop
Proj_PIMS_id: 
5919
SDGs: 
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13 - Climate Action
Facebook URL: 
https://facebook.com/gcf.vcp

Technology Transfer for Climate Resilient Flood Management in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Vrbas River Basin​

BiH is significantly exposed to the threats of climate change, but has very limited capacity to address and adapt to its negative impacts, in particular the frequency and magnitude of floods from its major rivers which have tripled in frequency in the last decade. The negative impacts of climate change particularly affect the vulnerable groups within the basin and key sectors such as agriculture and energy (hydropower). Vrbas River basin is characterized by a large rural population comprised of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in BiH, including war returnees and displaced people, with high exposure to flooding and its devastating impacts. In May 2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced its worst flooding in 150 years which resulted in 23 deaths and 2.7 Billion USD worth of damages which is 15% of GDP, and is expected to result in a 1.1% contraction in the economy this year, compared to the growth of 2.2% that had been predicted before the flood.

The project, “Technology transfer for climate resilient flood management in Vrbas River Basin”, will enable the government of BiH and communities of the Vrbas basin to adapt to flood risk through the transfer of adaptation technologies for climate resilient flood management and embark on climate resilient economic activities.

Working closely with state, entity and local governments and institutions the project will enable strategic management of flood risk through the legislative and policy framework and appropriate sectoral policies and plans that incorporate climate change considerations. In order to develop institutional and local capacities in Flood Risk Management (FRM) the project aims to:

  • Upgrade and rehabilitate of the hydrometric monitoring network,
  • Develop Flood Risk Management plan (FRM) for Vrbas river basin (VRB),
  • Develop flood risks and flood hazard maps for the VRB,
  • Develop a flood forecasting system and early warning system,
  • Develop emergency response plans, and provide trainings in flood-specific civil protection,
  • Provide targeted training on climate-induced FRM to over 100 practitioners and decisions makers,
  • Prepare institutional capacity development plan for the long-term development of capability and capacity in Flood Risk Management (FRM),
  • Implement non-structural interventions in municipalities of the VRB,
  • Provide training to local communities in climate resilient FRM, and introduce community-based early warning systems,
  • Prepare and implement municipal-level flood response and preparedness plans,
  • Implement agro-forestation scheme,
  • Introduce financial instruments such as index-based flood insurance and credit deference schemes as a means of compensating for flood damages for agriculture. 

Source: Bosnia and Herzegovina's UNDP Project Document (November 26, 2014) and Establishment of hydro-meteorological network in Vrbas River Basin (November 2015)./a>

Undefined
Photos: 
Region/Country: 
Level of intervention: 
Coordinates: 
POINT (17.413330041505 44.592423131342)
Primary beneficiaries: 
Communities in the Vrbas River Basin
Financing amount: 
5,000,000 (Grant Amount detailed in the CEO Endorsement, 21 January 2015.)

Together in the struggle with the climate change - UNDP BiH

The workshop on reducing the risk of floods and the impact of climate change was held in Banja Luka, April 2015, and it aimed to gather all relevant representatives of local authorities and institutions and international organizations in order to get familiar with all the activities that take place and effectively coordinate them. The ongoing projects and planned activities were presented in the field of flood protection and water management in BiH and all participants expressed their willingness to reduce the risk of flooding and other negative impacts of climate change.

Co-financing total: 
77,260,000 (As detailed in the CEO Endorsement, 21 January 2015.)
Project Details: 

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a middle income country with an estimated 3.8 million inhabitants, which is still recovering from the 1992-1995 war which had a devastating impact on its human, social and economic resources, leading to enormous challenges of the post-war reconstruction and economic and social recovery. This challenge has been further compounded by the transition towards market economy requiring structural reforms and improved governance. The slow rate of the post-war economic recovery of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been compounded by the negative impacts of climate change on key sectors such as agriculture, energy (hydropower), the environment and, in particular, the frequency and magnitude of flood disasters, which have tripled in frequency in the last decade.  In May 2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced its worst flooding in 150 years which resulted in 23 deaths and $2.7 Billion USD worth of damages which is 15% of GDP, and is expected to result in a 1.1 percent contraction in the economy this year, compared to the growth of 2.2 percent that had been predicted before the flood.

BiH is significantly exposed to the threats of climate change, but has very limited capacity to address and adapt to its negative impacts, in particular the frequency and magnitude of floods from its major rivers. The Vrbas River basin is characterized by a large rural population comprised of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in BiH, including war returnees and displaced people, with high exposure to flooding and its devastating impacts. Of the 28 munipalities that make up the Vrbas basin, 13 have experienced flooding in the past decade. Around a third of the rural population of Vrbas Basin (approximately 100,300 people) manage "smallholdings" where they produce fruit, vegetables and livestock products mainly for their own consumption, and about 16% may be classified as "farmers", in that they manage at least 3 ha and/or 3 livestock units. Agriculture is therefore important to the Vrbas River Basin, and the direct impacts of climate change on agriculture such as floods and droughts will inevitably impact the rural communities without any adaptation. Under climate change there is a real risk of reduced crop yields leading to increased food prices, which would in turn have negative implications for food security. 

The SCCF funds will be used to enable the communities of the Vrbas basin to adapt to flood risk through the transfer of adaptation technologies for climate resilient flood management, upgrade and rehabilitation of the hydrometric monitoring network, development of a flood forecasting system and early warning system, development of emergency response plans, and provision of training in flood-specific civil protection.   Importantly, the project will provide targeted training on climate-induced FRM to over 100 practitioners and decisions makers, and will develop an institutional capacity development plan for the long-term development of capability and capacity in Flood Risk Management (FRM).  The project will work closely with affected communities to introduce climate resilient community-based non-structural measures and provide training to local communities in climate resilient FRM. This will include the introduction of agro-forestry, community-based early warning systems, reforestation and introduction of financial instruments such as index-based flood insurance and credit deference schemes as a means of compensating for flood damages for agriculture. 

The enabling environment will be enhanced by embedding climate change into key sector policies, strategies and plans to enable climate resilient flood risk management within sectors that impact flood risk significantly, including land use and spatial planning, forestry, agriculture and energy sectors.  Specifically, the project will introduce floodplain management regulations that will enhance zoning of development and activities away from high risk areas. 

Source: Bosnia and Herzegovina's UNDP Project Document (November 26, 2014).

Expected Key Results and Outputs: 

Outcome 1. Key relevant development strategies/policies/legislation integrate climate change-resilient flood management approaches

Update at least two priority sectoral policies and plans (e.g. agriculture, hydropower, water resources) to include climate change modeling results (Output 1.1); Update floodplain management and spatial planning regulations and policies to include climate change risks (revision of land use regulations, stricter policy on construction permits in the areas prone to flooding, etc) (Output 1.2); also to codify and disseminate appropriate adaptation technology solutions for climate resilient flood management in BiH (Output 1.3).

Outcome 2. Climate resilient flood risk management is enabled by transferring modern technologies and strengthening institutional capacities

Improved hydrological and hydrodynamic model for the VRB incorporating climate change predictions, developed to produce flood hazard inundation maps for spatial planning and emergency response planning, and for the long-term strategic flood risk management of the VRB (Output 2.1)establishe and institutionalize GIS-based vulnerability, loss and damages assessment tool and database to record, analyze, predict and assess hydro-meteorological and other hazard events and associated losses (Output 2.2)upgrade the hydro-meteorological monitoring system in the VRB (increased from 11 to 25 gauging stations) and harmonize into a central hydrometric system (Output 2.3); Develop institutional capacity strengthening plan and provide targeted training on climate-induced flood risk management to at least 100 practitioners and decision-makers (Output 2.4)

Outcome 3. New technologies and approaches for enhanced flood risk management applied to increase resilience of vulnerable communities in VRB.

Developed integrated land use and flood risk management plan for the VRB and implement non-structural measures by local communities (through Output 3.2.), government and/or private sector (Output 3.1)Implement articipatory community-based adaptation strategies, technologies and practices in priority flood risk areas (e.g. community afforestation scheme on the flood plains as well as establish locally controlled and managed flood zones and watershed rehabilitation works, etc. (Output 3.2); Train local communities (particularly women and refugees) to implement and maintain flood resilient non-structural intervention measures, including agricultural practices such as agro-forestry, to improve livelihoods of 13communities in the VRB, and community-based flood early warning systems (Output 3.3)Modify early warning system in VRB to include the new hydrometric monitoring network as part of a fully-integrated flood forecasting system (comprised of centrally-based and community-based early warning systems) while also preparing and implementing municipal-level flood response and preparedness plans (Output 3.4)

Source: Bosnia and Herzegovina's UNDP Project Document (November 26, 2014).

Monitoring & Evaluation: 

The project will be monitored through the following M& E activities, which include Inception Workshop and Report; Measurement of Means of Verification of project results; Measurement of Means of Verification for Project Progress on output and implementation; ARR/PIR; Periodic status/ progress reports; Mid-term Evaluation; Final Evaluation; Project Terminal Report; Audit; and Visits to field sites.

A Project Inception Workshop will be held within the first 2 months of project start with those with assigned roles in the project organization structure, UNDP country office and where appropriate/feasible regional technical policy and programme advisors as well as other stakeholders.  The Inception Workshop is crucial to building ownership for the project results and to plan the first year annual work plan. 

The Inception Workshop should address a number of key issues including:

a)     Assist all partners to fully understand and take ownership of the project.  Detail the roles, support services and complementary responsibilities of UNDP CO and RCU staff vis à vis the project team.  Discuss the roles, functions, and responsibilities within the project's decision-making structures, including reporting and communication lines, and conflict resolution mechanisms.  The Terms of Reference for project staff will be discussed again as needed.

b)     Based on the project results framework and the relevant SOF (e.g. GEF) Tracking Tool if appropriate, finalize the first annual work plan.  Review and agree on the indicators, targets and their means of verification, and recheck assumptions and risks. 

c)     Provide a detailed overview of reporting, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) requirements.  The Monitoring and Evaluation work plan and budget should be agreed and scheduled.

d)     Discuss financial reporting procedures and obligations, and arrangements for annual audit.

e)     Plan and schedule Project Board meetings.  Roles and responsibilities of all project organisation structures should be clarified and meetings planned.  The first Project Board meeting should be held within the first 12 months following the inception workshop.

Periodic Monitoring through site visits:

UNDP CO and the UNDP RCU will conduct visits to project sites based on the agreed schedule in the project's Inception Report/Annual Work Plan to assess first hand project progress.  Other members of the Project Board may also join these visits.  A Field Visit Report/BTOR will be prepared by the CO and UNDP RCU and will be circulated no less than one month after the visit to the project team and Project Board members.

Mid-term of project cycle:

The project will undergo an independent Mid-Term Evaluation at the mid-point of project implementation (insert date).  The Mid-Term Evaluation will determine progress being made toward the achievement of outcomes and will identify course correction if needed.  It will focus on the effectiveness, efficiency and timeliness of project implementation; will highlight issues requiring decisions and actions; and will present initial lessons learned about project design, implementation and management.  Findings of this review will be incorporated as recommendations for enhanced implementation during the final half of the project’s term.  The organization, terms of reference and timing of the mid-term evaluation will be decided after consultation between the parties to the project document.  The Terms of Reference for this Mid-term evaluation will be prepared by the UNDP CO based on guidance from the Regional Coordinating Unit and UNDP-EEG.  The management response and the evaluation will be uploaded to UNDP corporate systems, in particular the UNDP Evaluation Office Evaluation Resource Center (ERC)

The relevant SOF (GEF) Focal Area Tracking Tools will also be completed during the mid-term evaluation cycle. 

End of Project:

An independent Final Terminal Evaluation will take place three months prior to the final Project Board meeting and will be undertaken in accordance with UNDP and SOF (e.g. GEF) guidance.  The final evaluation will focus on the delivery of the project’s results as initially planned (and as corrected after the mid-term evaluation, if any such correction took place).  The final evaluation will look at impact and sustainability of results, including the contribution to capacity development and the achievement of global environmental benefits/goals. The Terms of Reference for this evaluation will be prepared by the UNDP CO based on guidance from the Regional Coordinating Unit and UNDP-EEG.

The Final Terminal Evaluation should also provide recommendations for follow-up activities and requires a management response which should be uploaded to PIMS and to the UNDP Evaluation Office Evaluation Resource Center (ERC)

The relevant SOF (e.g GEF) Focal Area Tracking Tools will also be completed during the final evaluation.

During the last three months, the project team will prepare the Project Terminal Report. This comprehensive report will summarize the results achieved (objectives, outcomes, outputs), lessons learned, problems met and areas where results may not have been achieved.  It will also lay out recommendations for any further steps that may need to be taken to ensure sustainability and replicability of the project’s results.

Source: Bosnia and Herzegovina's UNDP Project Document (November 26, 2014).

Contacts: 
Raduska Cupac
UNDP Project Manager
Climate-related hazards addressed: 
Location: 
Funding Source Short Code: 
SCCF
Project status: 
Map Caption: 

Vrbas River Basin

Display Photo: 
Proj_PIMS_id: 
5241