Adapting to our warming world
The impacts of climate change are deepening in all corners of the world. To date, most of the conversation around tackling climate change has focused on mitigation – reducing our greenhouse gas emissions or removing them from the atmosphere. But there is another approach to tackling climate change that is becoming increasingly popular and needed – adaptation. This involves building resilience and preparedness towards the impacts of climate change.
Many countries and their governments are realizing that even if all our greenhouse gas emissions suddenly stopped overnight, the climate disasters that we’re seeing today – drought, wildfire, flooding – will not be going away. The call has never been louder. The time has come to adapt.
The Global Environment Facility was the first global source of funds for climate adaptation. It channels support for climate adaptation mainly through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). Since 2001, the GEF has provided nearly $2 billion in grant financing and mobilized more than $13 billion from other sources for nearly 400 adaptation projects in 130 countries. These projects are working to directly reduce the vulnerability of approximately 30 million people.
The Global Environment Facility is currently supporting more than 30 UNEP-led climate change adaptation projects across 32 countries worldwide, representing investments of over $160 million.
Together, we are helping governments and communities build resilience to climate change through a wide range of strategies, including ecosystem-based adaptation, national adaptation planning, early warning climate forecasting, climate-resilient agriculture, rainwater harvesting, awareness-raising and education, and providing training to communities for new climate-resilient livelihoods.
