Songdo, 28 October 2024 – The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved a US$ 35 million project to increase climate resilience in Azerbaijan, supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The major new project will address the need for reliable climate information services and a people-centred multi-hazard early warning system.
As a landlocked developing country with numerous and diverse climatic conditions, Azerbaijan is increasingly vulnerable to a multitude of climate-related hazards, from flooding and drought to extreme heat and landslides. The introduction of impact-based forecasting and climate shock-responsive social protection will help the country shift from reactive to proactive approaches to reducing disaster risks. Linking social protection to forecast-based financing and anticipatory action will provide an innovative means to increase the coping and adaptive capacities of the most vulnerable groups.
“Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and landslides are becoming increasingly frequent and intense,” said Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources and COP29 President-Designate. “These changes threaten not only our environment but also the livelihoods of our people and the resilience of our economy.”
“This marks a significant step in enhancing our adaptive capacity,” he added. “The project will enable us to better monitor and respond to climate hazards, safeguarding our communities, economy, and ecosystems in the process. International cooperation, such as this partnership with the GCF, is vital to our efforts in addressing the climate crisis and building a sustainable, resilient future for all.”
Using a holistic approach, the project targets all four pillars of effective early warning systems. A state-of-the-art forecast production and verification system will be established, and risk assessment capabilities strengthened. Warnings and advisories will be disseminated through multiple channels, guided by a new strategy for socially inclusive, child- and gender-responsive communications. A nationwide public awareness campaign will enhance climate change literacy and educate people on how to use early warning information to reduce disaster risks.
The project “Strengthening Climate Information and Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems for Increased Resilience in Azerbaijan” was approved at the 40th meeting of the GCF Board in Songdo, Republic of Korea. The six-year initiative is the country’s first full-scale project financed by the GCF.
“Timely and accurate climate information is the first line of defense to prevent and reduce the impacts of disasters.,” Henry Gonzalez, Chief Investment Officer of the GCF, said. “The more we scale up early warning systems, the more lives we save and the more livelihoods we protect. This important project will contribute significantly to the United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative.”
The project aims to benefit up to 5.71 million people directly. A specific focus on engaging children and youth will help to promote a generation of climate-conscious leaders who can drive community-based resilience initiatives in the longer term. By empowering vulnerable sectors and communities to access and act on early warnings, the project aims to both increase long-term resilience as well as support near-term reduction of climate-induced losses and damage.
Notes to Editors
The project will directly contribute towards the Early Warnings for All initiative. Launched in 2022 by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the initiative aims to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027.
The project will be implemented by a coalition of national and international partners, including the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the UNEP-DHI Centre on Water and Environment, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, the Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus, and UNICEF.
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