A $1.12 million water tank project funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will provide a safe and climate resilient water supply for schools in Tonga. At the signing of the agreement on 20 March, the Acting CEO for Finance, Ms. Pisila ‘Otunuku, said that the project will ensure the sustainable management of water that is safe, clean, and accessible, especially for children and vulnerable people.

The Adaptation Initiative for Climate Vulnerable Offshore Small Islands and Riverine Charland in Bangladesh Project, a collaborative effort between the Department of Environment (DoE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was launched on Wednesday with an inception workshop at Charfesson Upazila Parishad in Bhola. 

Fiji Government representatives, United Nations (UN) agencies and other key stakeholders have convened in Suva to lead an important initiative aimed at strengthening Early Warning Systems (EWS) in Fiji. Spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji, the core objective of the initiative is to develop a Green Climate Fund (GCF) proposal that will address challenges and improve the effectiveness of Fiji’s EWS.

A national consultation workshop on the Green and Resilient Debt Platform (GRDP) organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Dhaka has focused on mobilizing debt capital for sustainable initiatives through innovative financial instruments.  

In light of the growing climate crisis and Bangladesh’s national and international commitments on climate actions, there is an escalating need for climate finance.

French organisation, Association la Voûte Nubienne (AVN), has enabled the construction of over 7,000 of ‘Nubian vault’ climate-friendly houses in Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, Ghana and Benin since the year 2000, using the 3000 year-old Nubian Vault traditional technique originating in Upper-Egypt.

The Government of Uganda has officially gazetted all wetlands in the country, recognizing their critical role in protecting communities from climate change and providing essential benefits for millions. This landmark decision is aligned to the Ramsar Convention and comes after years of collaboration between the Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and partners on restoration of wetlands and associated catchments. 

“Climate justice means providing a safe environment now for people, and for action now and not later. Scientists have predicted Tuvalu will be uninhabitable by 2050. This is why we are advocating for social justice alongside climate justice,” says Teresa Lifuka-Drecala.

The costs of transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future are immense (although it the cost of inaction is even greater) and governments alone are unable to shoulder them. It is estimated that the agriculture and land use sectors alone require 26 times more than current levels of funding.

In a pivotal moment for countries supported by UNDP, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved US$208 million in finance to fast-track global action on nature and biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution control.

The funding will be deployed by UNDP to 20 countries, including eight Fragile States, seven Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and two Small Island Development States (SIDS), to tackle urgent and complex environmental challenges in a holistic way.

Opening remarks from Ms. Alissar Chaker, Resident Representative at UNDP Cambodia, at SDG Investor Map deep-dive on climate change adaptation: "Today we are taking a step forward with the deep dive on private investment opportunities in climate change adaptation. This is key for Cambodia, as it ranks amongst the most vulnerable countries to climate change... Climate change is also expected to affect the private sector in the country.