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Geneva, 9 November 2022 – As COP27 gets underway what’s most urgently needed is clear: accelerated investment in communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
At a make-or-break moment, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is launching today its Global Climate Resilience Platform to increase the resilience of communities most vulnerable to the changing climate.
The new initiative aims to support 500 million people by raising at least CHF1 billion through a five-year global initiative focusing on early warning and anticipatory action, nature-based solutions, and safety nets and shock responsive social protection.
Secretary General of the IFRC, Jagan Chapagain, says:
“We've launched the Global Climate Resilience Platform to create transformational change through an immense scale up of investment at the local community level, heeding the call for faster and broader efforts to address the climate crisis.
“Real sustainable change can only happen when the people impacted are driving decisions. Funding local climate action without having to go through multiple layers is crucial if we are to be truly successful in building resilience from the ground up.”
Through the platform, the IFRC network will support meaningful participation and the active leadership of women, local communities, Indigenous peoples, youth and other marginalised and/or underrepresented groups in the development and implementation of locally led climate action in 100 countries most vulnerable to climate change.
President of the IFRC, Francesco Rocca, says:
"The critical challenge of this decade is how to support and finance climate resilience initiatives at a global scale. The key is found in the shift of power and resources to local actors.”
IFRC’s Making it Count: Smart Climate Financing for the Most Vulnerable People report has found that many highly vulnerable countries are not receiving the climate adaptation support they need and are being left behind.
On average, they received less than a quarter of the adaptation funding per person that went to low or very low vulnerability countries.
In addition, only an estimated 10% of funding is granted at the local level as donors instead favour large-scale national infrastructure projects that risk missing the mark for local communities.
Under Secretary General of the IFRC, Nena Stoiljkovic, said the platform focused on the key areas that had been identified as having the most potential for transformative impact at scale through increased investment and were expected to generate multiple dividends, including—first and foremost—saving lives.
She noted that the initiative will link sources of funding across humanitarian, development and climate funds as well as innovative financing mechanisms involving the private sector to meet its ambitious but critical targets.
Increased resilience also stimulates sustainable development and innovation and is a more efficient focus in humanitarian response: investing one dollar in climate resilience in communities can save six dollars of investments in disaster response.
Media contacts:
In Geneva:Jenelle Eli, +1 202 603 6803,[email protected]
In Washington: Marie Claudet, +1 202 999 8689, [email protected]
This report presents findings and analysis from a climate action and environmental sustainability survey conducted with 67 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in 2021.
The survey sought to understand National Societies' priorities on climate action and environmental sustainability, and how these are connected to strategic documents of the IFRC and our wider Movement (such as our Movement Ambitions to Address the Climate Crisis and the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations). It also aimed to explore National Societies' perceived capacities and needs to deliver on the climate-related ambitions set out in these strategic documents.
Overall, the report provides baseline information on the current priorities of National Societies in scaling up climate action, as well as their current level of capacity and engagement in working on climate change.
Building on our unique added value and expertise, this document articulates what the Movement is ready to do collectively to address the climate crisis. Our objective is to reduce the current and future humanitarian impacts of climate change and to support people to thrive in the face of it.
We will work across four pillars of action: climate-smart disaster risk reduction, early action and preparedness; health; climate displacement; and climate-resilient livelihoods and services and sustainable water resource management). We will prioritize reducing our own carbon footprint as a cross-cutting consideration in all we do. Our activities will tackle prevention, preparedness, response and recovery to address and reduce the impacts of climate-related shocks and hazards to support the longer-term resilience of communities.
All over the world, COVID-19 has left a difficult legacy, hampering communities in their livelihood activities and altering their environment.
In the Comoros, COVID-19 has had significant impacts on the mangroves, which are home to considerable ecological wealth and are incredibly important for the environmental health of the country. Indeed, with the lockdown measures, there was an increase in the amount of waste produced within households while the waste pick-up systems were also struggling to function. At the same time, the economic hardship which occurs during this period forced some people to find alternative sources of income such as the sale of firewood.
Excessive deforestation, the accumulation of household waste and the systematic destruction of mangrove regrowth have all continued rapidly during this period. This situation has been made even worse by the effects of climate change in this Indian Ocean region.
Aware of the need to act quickly, Kalathoumi Charif, a representative of the youth section of the Comorian Red Crescent, has developed a project focusing on the sustainable management of the natural environment in the face of climate risks. Its aim is to help communities understand the importance of this ecosystem and to help them put in place effective conservation mechanisms.
Thousands of volunteers—primarily youth volunteers—from the Comorian Red Crescent will deliver training and awareness-raising sessions on the conservation of cultivable soils and the protection of mangroves from the effects of climate change. These sessions will take place over one year and cover people on the country’s three major islands: Ngazidja, Anjouan and Mohéli.
This is the first time I have had the chance to submit a project like this.I am delighted to be able to put my knowledge into practice. And to participate in the preservation of the mangroves in my country. I would like to tell young people who don't dare to take the plunge yet that there is a first time for everything, so it's time we have confidence in our abilities.
Kalathoumi
Comorian Red Crescent
The IFRC is convinced of the potential of young volunteers and their ability to bring about positive and impactful changes in their communities. Which is why it’s important to support such initiatives, especially those related to climate risk reduction. This project will therefore benefit from technical and financial support from Limitless, the IFRC's Innovation Academy.
Imagine two neighbouring communities. One a wealthy neighbourhood next to a lake, its large houses surrounding a community hall that doubles as an evacuation centre. The other, a densely packed, low-income fishing village on the nearby harbour.
The weather has been strange lately: destructive typhoons are becoming more frequent; the winds are stronger. Dangerous floods happen more often.
Given the increasing risk, the authorities announce that they’ll take action to keep everyone safe. They decide to pay for a second evacuation centre in the wealthy suburb.
This is clearly a terrible decision. But scenarios like this are playing out every day in countries and communities most at risk from our changing climate.
Globally, 86 million people may be at risk of flooding by 2030, according to new research presented in the World Disasters Report 2020 - released today by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Asia is by far the most disaster-prone region in the world, experiencing around twice as many emergencies such as major floods and storms as the Americas or Africa.
The study shows that of the 20 countries assessed as most vulnerable to climate change, and climate and weather-related disasters, including Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands in the Pacific, not one was among the 20 highest per-person recipients of climate adaptation funding, according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative.
Bangladesh and Myanmar are only just ahead of the 20 countries most vulnerable to climate disasters, yet both have seen gains in recent years. In Bangladesh, investment in early action ahead of floods and cyclones is not only preventing death and injury but making it a little easier to recover from more destructive and frequent monsoonal flooding.
None of the five countries that spend the most on adaptation to climate change had “very high” – or even “high” vulnerability scores. Not one was classed as “fragile”. place.
At the other end of the funding spectrum, less than 1 US dollar per person is being made available for climate adaptation funding in five out the eight “very high” vulnerability countries, and 38 out of 60 countries deemed to be of “high” vulnerability.
This is the equivalent of putting the new evacuation centre by the lake, rather than making it accessible to the fishing community that is at high risk from storms and floods.
And all over the world, people are being left at risk because the resources required for adapting to climate disasters and reducing risks are not reaching the community level, where they are needed the most.
Urgent investment is needed, now, if countries are to introduce necessary climate adaption measures that will protect communities and prevent human and economic costs of disasters.
But how can we do this in the current economic situation? After all, looking just at the adaptation needs outlined in the nationally determined contributions of 50 developing countries, 50 billion US dollars is needed every year.
My worry is that this shortfall will continue to grow as governments and international donors concentrate on the ongoing pandemic.
But climate adaptation work can’t take a back seat while the world is preoccupied with COVID-19. The two crises have to be tackled together.
And we have the opportunity to do this. The massive stimulus packages that are being developed around the world in response to COVID-19 are an opportunity to “build back better”. We can build a green and adaptive recovery, using relevant funds to invest in making communities safer and more resilient to future disasters.
We can expect the pandemic to have a serious impact on future resources. But this underlines the importance of smart financing to reduce disaster risks and promote climate adaptation in all communities exposed to hazards.
Climate change is an even more significant threat to humanity than the COVID-19 pandemic. It affects us all. Some countries in Asia and the Pacific are currently more exposed to climate risks than others, but we will all feel the impact eventually.
So we all have to adapt. We can start by putting resources at the disposal of the people who need it most. By protecting them, we give everyone a better chance of preventing the terrible human toll from storms, floods and fires that will affect us all.
The findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are clear: the humanitarian impacts from climate change will become more severe, frequent and widespread. These impacts are not just a future problem; they are already felt by communities around the world. Nor are they short or simple shocks; climate-related disasters collide with and compound other chronic causes of crisis – including extreme poverty, protracted insecurity, social and economic marginalization – so, the most vulnerable people are the hardest hit by climate change.
The IFRC launched its Global Climate Resilience Platform (GCRP) last year at COP27 with the objective of raising CHF 1 billion in next five years to boost locally-led climate action.
In its first year, the Platform has mobilized CHF 100 million, providing programming on three focus areas – anticipatory action and early warning, nature-based solutions and shock- responsive social protection – in 33 of the world’s most climate vulnerable countries.
Increased investments in anticipatory action and early warning, nature-based solutions and shock-responsive social protection have the potential for transformational change if coupled with unprecedented levels of investment at the local level.
Anticipatory action and early action means taking steps to protect peoplebeforea crisis hits, based on forecasts or predictions, to prevent or reduce potential disaster impacts.These types of actions vary from evacuation plans, cash distribution or reinforcement of homes.
Nature-based solutions are actions to protect, sustainably manage or restore ecosystems — such as forests, mangroves, coral reefs or urban green spaces — in ways that addresses societal challenges, such as disaster risk, climate change or food security.
The role of shock-responsive social protection or safety nets is to reduce vulnerability to poverty and reliance on negative coping strategies. Such measures include adaptative livelihoods, health and social support and inclusive disaster preparedness and response.
“This is exactly the kind of solidarity we need to have with communities and organizations like National Societies that locally rooted, in their efforts to prevent and reduce risks so everyone has the chance to thrive, instead of only working to recover from great losses,” said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain, who announced additional funding pledge while at COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, UAE today.
“Just as we must mobilize on the global level to address the causes of climate change, we must also help communities adapt,” he continued. “The Global Climate Resilience Platform offers a great opportunity to do something very concrete and positive that will save lives, livelihoods and even entire communities from the worsening impacts of the climate crisis.”
Approach adapted to local threats
While the platforms prioritizes early action, nature-based solutions and shock-responsive social protection, the activities will vary depending on the particular climate risks communities face.
In some cases, early action means planned evacuations or reinforcing homes. In others, it may mean distributing health protection kits, or in the case of heatwaves, setting up mobile cooling centres.
In the Americas, where climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather related events – from tropical storms to mudslides, floods and wildfires – the GCRP helps National Societies develop or improve solutions that address those particular risks.
In drought-impacted countries in eastern Africa, the GCRP supports National Societies working to help communities adapt through the development integrated water systems and participate in multi-partner initiatives such as The Water at the Heart of Climate Action programme.
Across the globe, in countries including Kenya and Nepal, shock responsive social protection has meant including anticipatory work into the national government’s social protection system. This means more people get access to timely information and support.
National Societies that participate will integrate these approaches into their institutional planning, priorities and funding strategies. The GCRP will back up these efforts by reinforcing National Society technical expertise through training and operational support.
The countries benefitting from GCRP funding thus far include :
Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somali, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda
Americas: Colombia, Dominican Republic and Jamaica
Asia-Pacific: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines and Vietnam
MENA: Iraq, Palestine, Syria and Yemen.
With the exception of Rwanda, all the participating countries are considered the 100 most climate vulnerable countries according to ND-GAIN Index, an initiative by the University of Notre Dame, in the United States, aimed at helping people understand ways communities are adapting to climate change.
For more information,read our technical explainer.
You can also visit ourearly action pageand theAnticipation Hub- our anticipatory action platform hosted by the German Red Cross.
Your excellencies, colleagues and friends, together with our co-hosts, the Permanent Missions of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United Kingdom, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we warmly welcome you today to the IFRC for the Climate Science and Humanitarian Dialogue.
We are delighted to have you join us today—in person and online—for this important discussion which builds on the outcomes of the 2018 Climate Science and Humanitarian Dialogue we co-hosted together with Switzerland, the Netherlands, Fiji, the IPCC and the Climate Action Network.
A lot has changed since then.
TheIPCC report on impacts, adaptation and vulnerabilityhas effectively launched us into a new era.
An era where the whole world sees theclimate crisisas a humanitarian crisis unfolding in front of us.
The IPCC report confirms what the IFRC and our network of 192-member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have witnessed for years:climate change is already disrupting the lives of billions, particularly the world’s poorest who have contributed the least to it.
Climate change is contributing to humanitarian crises, especially in contexts where people are already vulnerable.It is drivingdisplacement, causinghealth issues, as well as flood and drought-inducedfood insecurity.
The report also confirms that climate impacts exacerbate and perpetuate vulnerabilities, as well as social and economic inequities. The consequences will be worse and sooner than we thought.
The unprecedented is no longer an excuse for being unprepared.
Extreme climate and weather events will be more frequent and more intense.
They will affect new places.
And many hazards will strike at once.
This means we can’t use what happened in the past to predict the future.
We must listen to the science and use it to plan for and protect against future risks.
This must be our standard way of working.
How can we, as the humanitarian community, use this science to take action together?
For our part, we are stepping up our climate action on the ground.
The IFRC network is adopting a proactive approach by establishing an ambitiousGlobal Climate Platformaimed at mobilizing resources and significantly enhancing climate action initiatives in the most climate vulnerable countries around the world, with the goal of increasing community resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Our decades of experience in disaster risk management and climate action - and leveraging the climate science expertise - uniquely positions the IFRC network to scale up local climate action.
The Climate Platform will be co-created with interested partners and member National Societies and will link different sources of funding across the development, humanitarian, climate and private sectors.
Its ambition is to raise over 1 billion Swiss francs to support a five-year programme in at least 100 climate vulnerable countries, to help more than 53 million people reduce climate risks and live safer, more dignified lives.
None of this is possible without solidarity. We must unite as a humanitarian community.
We have worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross to build a community of committed organizations through theClimate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, to help steer collective action on how we must change and operate differently to address this crisis.
We now have over 220 signatories and three Governments who support the Charter, and the European Union will be adding its signature next week.
We invite you to join us, to make your own commitments and targets and to support others to implement the charter.
As the IPCC report tells us, our window for action is rapidly closing—we have no choice but to be bold and transformational in our actions.
This is why we’ve brought everyone together here today: to build a shared vision on how we can accelerate real and timely action from the humanitarian community.
Your excellencies, colleagues and friends- Barack Obama once said“We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it.”Indeed, we have in our power to do something about it. Thank you.
ENDS
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About the event
The Climate Science and Humanitarian Dialogue was a hybrid virtual/in-person event co-hosted by the Permanent Missions of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United Kingdom to the United Nations in Geneva and the IFRC, with the collaboration of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It took place on Friday 25 March 2022.
It convened participants from around the world to discuss the humanitarian implications of the most recent IPCC report on climateimpacts, adaptation and vulnerability—covering topics ranging from anticipatory action to climate-related migration.
“The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human well-being and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss the brief, rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future.”
The latest reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change present the most urgent and alarming calls to actions we’ve had to date. Its analysis on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability finds that climate change is driving and exacerbating humanitarian crises, and that climate impacts are perpetuating vulnerabilities as well as social and economic inequities. The science now confirms that climate change is not just a future humanitarian concern, but one having devastating impacts already, today – a crisis demanding a scaled-up humanitarian response, now. This is precisely what the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations aims to do: urgently steer and galvanize a collective humanitarian response to the climate and environmental crises.
The 21st of May marks one year since the Charter was opened for signature. In this post, IFRC Climate Change Coordinator Tessa Kelly and ICRC Policy Advisers Catherine-Lune Grayson and Amir Khouzam highlight the good reasons we have for celebrating, as well as the need to maintain momentum and live up to our commitments.
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When the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the second installment of its sixth assessment report on the impacts of climate change, connections between its findings and humanitarian action were abundantly clear. Protecting the lives and the rights of present and future generations largely depends first and foremost on political will to cut greenhouse gas emissions, halt biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, adapt to rising risks, and address loss and damage associated with the impacts of the crises. Yet humanitarian organizations have a role to play in responding to growing needs and adapting our responses to ensure that we help people adapt to these crises themselves.
It is this recognition that led to the development of the Climate and Environment Charter, a short and aspirational text that calls for a transformational change across the humanitarian sector. Its seven commitments are intended to guide humanitarian organizations in stepping up and improving our humanitarian action to address the climate and environmental crises and reduce humanitarian needs.
The strong support that the Charter has garnered in its first year reflects that humanitarian organizations want to do our part – and so do donors. These are good reasons to celebrate, and to redouble our commitments and accelerate our work. We are already playing catch up, and humanitarian needs continue to rise.
The commitment of the humanitarian sector to do more and better, together, is clear and uplifting.
Over the last year, more than 230 humanitarian organizations have signed the Charter. These signatures represent the full breadth of the humanitarian sector, with organizations of different scales, mandates and approaches joining in – from local NGOs in over 80 countries to international organizations, National Red Cross Red Crescent Societies, UN agencies, and NGO consortiums.
The number of signatories and their diversity tell us a few things.
First, we can read this as affirmation that humanitarian organizations now see the climate and environmental crises as humanitarian priorities that we must address together as local, national and international organizations. We all agree that we also have much to learn from the solutions that communities have designed themselves, from climate scientists to development organizations and farming associations.
We can also read this as a testimony to the value of listening to people, seeking out diverse opinions, and building a sense of community. The Charter is not any one organization’s to claim – it was shaped by hundreds of individuals and organizations across the globe, and we think that this is why so many organizations are happy to be part of this effort.
The support the Charter has received also indicates a consensus on what needs to be done. We have often seen the Charter frame conversations on the role of humanitarian actors in responding to the climate and environment crises. We like to think that this is because the seven commitments captured in the Charter are virtually impossible to disagree with.
Donor countries have joined in, and they also have a clear role to play.
This was a year during which we have seen a growing number of countries commit to supporting a stronger humanitarian response to the climate and environment crises.
The Charter has always been a document for and by humanitarian organizations. As the number of signatories rose, States, government agencies, and other entities noticed, and asked how they could be involved to show their support for the Charter and the ambitions it represents.
This makes sense – in fact, it reflects two core elements of the Charter. First, the Charter highlights the importance of mobilizing urgent and more ambitious climate action and environmental protection. For this, it is essential to have governments and other decision-makers on board. Second, implementing the Charter requires financial and technical support, which requires the support of donors.
In response to this reality, we opened a Supporters category through which States, local and regional governments, government agencies and departments, and private foundations can indicate their support for the Charter. Since this category opened last fall, Switzerland, the United States, Norway and the European Union have formally expressed their support. We hope that many others will follow.
In March, at the European Humanitarian Forum, humanitarian donors were also invited to sign up to a new declaration on climate and the environment announced by the European Commission. The declaration echoes the Charter, as its signatories commit to investing in, preparing for, anticipating and responding to disasters, improving cooperation and partnerships at all levels and reducing the environmental impact of humanitarian activities.
The support for accelerating the implementation of the Climate and Environment Charter is increasingly clear – and we have no time to lose!
As we’ve always said, signing the Charter is the beginning of the journey. The true test is how this changes the way we work and how our commitments make a difference for the people we are working with and for.
Organizations signing the Charter commit to adopting and sharing publicly specific targets and implementation plans that demonstrate how their commitments are being translated into practice. Some 17 organizations have already shared their targets, and many have indicated that theirs are being developed and will be shared shortly. We find this exciting, because we see the targets as a way for organizations to clarify their ambitions, orient their efforts, and by sharing them publicly, learn from one another.
Recently, we surveyed humanitarian organizations on the support that they require to implement the Charter. We received nearly 100 responses from people working in over 100 countries and in every region of the world for international, national, and local NGOs and National Red Cross Red Crescent Societies.
We heard calls for help with developing concrete targets, compiling successful examples and case studies, and developing tools and technical standards for specific sectors. We also heard that peer-to-peer exchanges and direct assistance to develop targets and implementation plans would be extremely valuable forms of support. Moving forward into the Charter’s second year, we will focus on accelerating this area of work.
The support the Charter has seen in its first year is remarkable. It is also only the beginning. This is a work in progress – and we feel that it is moving in the right direction. We are immensely grateful for the strong engagement of humanitarians across the world in driving this effort forward. As a small Charter team, we cannot provide all the support that is critical to implementing the Charter, but we can help by identifying sources of support and making the right connections, and contributing to turning this into a truly collective effort.
Let’s see what the second year brings as we work together to meet the moment.
To sign the Charter and find guidance on its implementation, please visit www.climate-charter.org.
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This blog was originally published on the ICRC's Humanitarian Law & Policy blog here.
Kuala Lumpur/Funafuti/Suva, 8 September 2021 – The small Pacific Island country of Tuvalu, has been experiencing low rainfall conditions, with mounting concerns of extreme water shortages for people across the tropical islands.
Tuvalu has been facing drought conditions for the past three months and rainfall levels have been some of the lowest ever recorded.
There are fears communities may face water shortages in the coming months if rainfall continues to be below normal, especially as the Red Cross Red Crescent Early Action Rainfall Watch places Tuvalu at ‘dry warning’ level, with high risk of severe dry conditions getting worse.
Tuvalu Red Cross Secretary General Tagifoe Taomia said:
“Record low rainfall levels leave our drinking water tanks empty and our crops withered. Climate extremes are hitting our country hard. Our communities rely on rainfall as the main source of fresh water as there are no rivers on the island."
“Water harvesting systems are completely dependent on rainfall. No rain, no water to harvest and when it does rain, the amount we are able to collect is dependent on the intensity of the rainfall."
“Early action is being ramped up to assist people in remote communities across the country, to take proactive steps to analyse these impacts and build their knowledge and capacity to prepare for periods of drought.”
To support Tuvalu Red Cross with their drought early action, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has released emergency relief funds of around 30,000 Swiss Francs (Around $33,000 USD).
Tuvalu Red Cross will assist people with their household water tank monitoring and deliver drought awareness activities to help communities cope with the current dry period with rainfall levels at some of the lowest recorded and to be better prepared for periods of droughts.
Disaster management teams from Tuvalu Red Cross are working alongside authorities to help Island Disasters Committees prepare their communities to survive these dry months. Katie Greenwood, IFRC’s Pacific Head of Delegation, said:
“These seriously dry drought levels and forecasts of worse to come in a Pacific Island tropical country reveal how exposed we are to the ravages of extreme weather events which are being fuelled by a changing climate and warming oceans."
“This IFRC funding is the first ever Disaster Relief Emergency Funds released at the early onset of a drought in the Pacific."
“It’s critical to invest more in preparing early to enable Red Cross in the Pacific to support their communities to be safe ahead of disasters so they can reduce impacts and build resilience.”
For more information, contact:
In Funafuti: Eleala Avanitele, +688 7108931, [email protected]
In Suva: Soneel Ram, +679 9983 688, [email protected]
In Kuala Lumpur: Antony Balmain, +60 12 230 8451, [email protected]
Geneva, 22 September 2023 -As proved so tragically in Libya last week, while water holds the key to life, alltoo often it kills.
Whether – like in Derna - it’s too much water leading to floods, or too little water causing droughts, or polluted water resulting in health risks, addressing the dangers that water poses can save lives. As climate change intensifies these threats, there is an urgent need for action.
That is why a new collaboration matters so much.
With funding and support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands ‘Water at the Heart of Climate Action’ is an ambitious partnership between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), The Netherlands Red Cross, the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF).
This collaboration will combine local knowledge and global technology to help communities understand and act on the water-related risks they face - before they become disasters. The programme is focused on supporting the countries of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan,and Uganda, which make up the Nile River basin. These countries are not only among the Least Developed Countries in the world but are also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. To ensure the implementation of this five-year partnership, the Government of the Netherlands has generously committed 52 million Swiss Francs (55 million euros).
The aim of the ‘Water at the Heart’ collaboration is to address climate-related risks that too often fall between the cracks of most country-level water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) policies. It will focus on practical, locally-driven action to better anticipate disasters and prepare communities well in advance. It will also use the latest science and technology to monitor and forecast weather and water-related hazards. It furthermore invests in communications technologies to warn communities of what is coming and enable early action. As a result, this programme is a direct contribution to the implementation of the UN Secretary General’s ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative.
Jagan Chapagain, the Secretary General of the IFRC said:
“Water is life. But too much or too little water can wreak havoc on people’s lives and homes. Almost three-quarters of all recent humanitarian disasters were water related. This initiative makes mitigation of the impact of such disasters an absolute priority. With thousands of IFRC network volunteers across South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda, the IFRC network is uniquely positioned to deliver innovative and trusted local action. Through our partners, those actions can be informed by technology including the best forecasting and observation. This really is a ‘sandbags to satellites’ all-encompassing initiative.”
Mami Mizutori, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the head of UNDRR said:
“To save lives, lift people out of poverty and ensure that development gains are sustainable and irreversible, we must stop hazards from becoming disasters. Water at the Heart of Climate Action is a demonstration of the commitment of the Netherlands to helping some of the most vulnerable countries build their resilience in the face of climate change.”
Maarten van Aalst, Director General of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) said:
“As a national Meteorological Institute, we see the rapid increase in weather extremes in our changing climate, and we realize that we need partnerships all across society to make sure our warnings lead to early actions. The Netherlands’ vulnerability as a low-lying delta is significantly reduced by the power of good data and predictions, and the ability to act on that information — from satellites to sandbags. Water at the heart will strengthen our peers in the Global South to deliver similar services, and KNMI is proud to be supporting those efforts with peer support.”
WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas said:
“The majority of hazards are water-related, particularly floods and droughts. Climate change will further increase the frequency and severity of these events. End-to-end early warning systems are critical to save lives and minimize the impact of disasters. WMO is working with SOFF to close the basic weather and climate observation data gap and strengthen the foundational element of better data for better forecasts. Water at the Heart of Climate Action will make a tangible contribution to the Early Warnings for All initiative.”
Paul Bekkers, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN, WTO and other international organizations in Geneva, said:
“Water should not be posing risks to vulnerable frontline communities! On the contrary, we can empower communities to transform water from a hazard into a valuable resource. By leveraging indigenous knowledge and investing in early warning systems. The Netherlands proudly supports this partnership that places the needs of local communities at the heart of water action!”
REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE TALKING ABOUT ‘WATER AT THE HEART’ AT THE UN PRESS BRIEFING IN GENEVA FROM 10.30AM ON FRIDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER. THE VIDEO OF THE BRIEFING WILL BE POSTED HERE SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.
FOR INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE INVOLVED, PLEASE CONTACT VIA THE DETAILS BELOW
IFRC - Andrew Thomas / [email protected] / +41763676587
CLIMATE CENTRE - Alex Wynter / [email protected] / +447717470855
WMO – Clare Nullis / [email protected] / +41797091397
SOFF - Pauline Trepczyk / [email protected] / +41796407857
UNDRR – Jeanette Elsworth / [email protected] / +41766911020
PERMAMENT REPRESENTATION OF THE NETHERLANDS - Joyce Langewen / [email protected] / +41794486110
NETHERLANDS RED CROSS - Bastiaan van Blokland / [email protected] / +31704455612
Geneva/Dubai:In a stark warning ahead of the Climate Convention ‘Conference of the Parties’ (‘COP28’), the Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Jagan Chapagain, has said the climate and environmental crisis is a “multiplier”, exacerbating almost every humanitarian disaster his organisation faces.
On the eve of the convention in Dubai, Jagan Chapagain, who is on the COP28 Advisory Committee said:
“Whether it’s a hunger crisis and people forced to move because of drought, a health emergency exacerbated by heat, killer flooding caused by exceptional rain, disputes over diminishing tracts of arable land or an uptick in malaria deaths due to warmer temperatures, climate change plays a role in exacerbating the impact of so-called ‘natural’ disasters. The climate and environmental crisis is the biggest global challenge the IFRC faces. Addressing its impacts means addressing the base issues that turn hazards into disasters and doing that at the base level where people are most affected. If we want to tackle humanitarian disasters, it really is ‘All About That Base’.”
Climate or extreme weather was a contributing factor to the vast majority - new analysis suggests 94% - of all impact-causing natural hazards between 2018 and 2022. And that proportion, according to an IFRC report1, increases every year. Climate change is unequivocally making the impacts of those hazards worse too; the subsequent ‘natural’ disasters - measured through factors including damaged buildings and crops, injuries and deaths – get ever more serious.
But natural hazards, even as climate change makes them more common and more fierce, only become disasters because of inequality, exclusion and a lack of support when and where it’s needed most. When adaptation investment happens, when anticipatory work is done where it matters, where local communities are prepared and where the right finance is in place before and after weather events hit, disastrous consequences are not inevitable.
The IFRC is a global organisation focused on preventing, adapting to, and relieving the impacts of disasters. That’s why recognising the base reasons that hazards exacerbated by climate change turn into disasters – and addressing them at the local, base, level - matters so much.
At COP, IFRC leaders and experts will argue that a humanitarian catastrophe can only be avoided through a mix of mitigation (reducing emissions to stop temperature rises beyond 1.5 degrees), adaptation to a world inevitably warmer than today’s, and accelerated efforts to avert, minimise and address losses and damages. They will say that the focus for adaptation should be on base issues in the countries, communities and crises most affected by climate change, but seeing the least adaptation funding. And they will argue that the most effective projects and initiatives are at the community-led; grassroots initiatives that work from the base up.
Physically at COP28 and participating remotely, the IFRC has leaders and climate experts available to talk to the media. They include:
Francesco Rocca, IFRC President
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of IFRC
Caroline Holt, IFRC Director of Climate, Disaster and Crisis
Kirsten Hagon, IFRC Head of Climate Policy
Jonathan Stone, IFRC Climate and Resilience Manager
Also available for interviews are ‘climate champions’ with stories of tackling climate change and its impacts ‘at its base’. These include:
Kevin Douglas from the Jamaican Red Cross
Kevin is working with the local government to ensure better local community knowledge of the importance of nature in reducing risks. He encourages and leads the planting of mangroves to prevent flooding, for example.
Sonia Mercedes Paz Salas from the Colombian Red Cross
The Colombian Red Cross pioneered a transformative project in flood-prone Colombian river-bank communities. This meant engaging the community to construct stilt houses and a critical 1.1km footbridge, ultimately enhancing living conditions for river-bank families and safeguarding over 5,500 individuals in neighbouring villages. This is a vital precedent for disaster resilience in the region.
Prisca Chisala from the Malawi Red Cross
When Cyclone Freddy hit in March, the Malawi Red Cross was on the frontline of dealing with hundreds of thousands of people displaced, and in tackling a cholera outbreak. And although 200 people died in the storm, it would have been much worse but for the anticipatory actions and the innovative ways warnings were issued across the affected area.
For more information or to set up an interview: [email protected]
In Geneva: Andrew Thomas +41 76 367 65 87,
Tommaso Della Longa +41 79 708 43 67
In Dubai: Melis Figanmese +41 79 202 20 33
Aleksandra “Saša” Gorišek: +41792130425
In the heart of Togo’s capital, Lomé, a group of men are rewriting the narrative of their community. They’re members of the Togblékopé Father's Club, and they’re on a mission to become champions for women.
Set up by the Togolese Red Cross in 2013, the Father’s Club seeks to tackle the harmful attitudes and behaviours holding women in the country back.
It began when the Togolese Red Cross Society discovered that many pregnant women in Lomé weren’t accessing the healthcare services they needed—in some cases because they didn’t have the means, but in others because their male partners simply weren’t letting them.
So volunteers set up the Father’s Club to bring men in the community together and help them understand why it’s important to respect, and stand up for, women’s rights and needs.
Ten years on, members are now dubbed ‘Papa Champions’ and proudly advocate for women’s reproductive health, tackle gender-based violence, and act as role models for other men in their community.
Sama Abdou Rahime Arabiou, Togolese Red Cross volunteer and President of the Togblékopé Father’s Club, is the driving force behind the initiative and has a heart full of compassion. He believes women are integral to the well-being of every community and deserve to live as freely and happily as men.
The first priority for the Father’s Club was reproductive health. Traditionally, women in Togo have had limited access to information about family planning and reproductive health services. So Papa Champions headed out into their community to share trusted health information with men and women.
“We do door-to-door sensitization. We talk to men about the benefits of breastfeeding and other health-related activities,” explains Sama.
Women in Togblékopé report seeing a big difference in their partners and in community attitudes towards women, thanks to the Papa Champions.
“Before, there were some women who couldn’t do anything. They did nothing and were always at home. But through our meetings, their husbands let them start businesses. They now accompany their wives to the hospital for the prenatal consultation for childbirth,” says Azoumi Boukari, a mother from Togblékopé and member of a local Mother’s Club set up by the Togolese Red Cross.
Papa Champions are also very active in tackling the pervasive issue of gender-based violence, often running workshops for men on understanding consent and respecting women’s boundaries.
They also patrol their neighbourhoods to ensure women can walk safely without fear of harassment, intervening whenever they see a woman in distress and setting a positive example for younger generations.
“Since this club was started in our community, I have seen a lot of changes in my husband…They [Papa Champions] have brought joy to our homes,” adds Azoumi.
The Togblékopé Father's Club has proven that men can, and should, be powerful allies in the fight for women's rights and gender equality.
Not only have they improved the lives of women in their community, they’ve set a precedent for a more equitable society in Togo—in which being a ‘champion’ for women is no longer noteworthy, it’s the norm.
Nairobi/Geneva, 5 July 2021 - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Africa Region is calling on its partners to do more to protect children amid increasing vulnerabilities due to climate-related disasters. This call comes ahead of the upcoming Africa Dialogue/Anticipatory Action event.
MohammedMukhier, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Regional Director for Africa said:
“As drought and food insecurity take hold, we see again that Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions to the effects of climate change and its related disasters. IFRC is deeply concerned about the disproportionate level of protection risks against children across Africa posed by climate related disasters. Anticipating need and taking effective action is essential.”
IFRC is calling on all humanitarian actors to do a better job at preventing children from increased violence, abuse and exploitation. IFRC’s study, “We Need To Do Better” shows that climate related disasters puts pressure on protective systems, leaving families in desperate situations, and reducing children’s chances of shaping their own futures.
Mukhier added: “Climate change related extreme weather and rising temperatures have increased the frequency of droughts and floods in Africa and around the world, leading to knock-on effects such as economic hardship, child labour, severe malnutrition, lack of access to clean water and WASH facilities, child marriage and lower school attendance. The consequences of these are felt today and will continue to undermine children’s protection for years to come. We need to invest more in preventative action including anticipatory action with a specific lens on child protection.”
Presently, the menace of floods, COVID-19, conflict, and locusts in parts of the African region, linked to the warming climate, is a key example of the risks. Yet, this may worsen in the coming months, especially between June and August 2021, with the exacerbation of food insecurity.
Furthermore, climate related displacement is a significant concern. Rapid and slow onset environmental degradation diminishes living conditions, forcing families to leave their homes and often separate from their children. Many children are also forced to reside in unsafe refugee and IDP camps in countries across the continent where they are at risk of trafficking, recruitment into armed groups and sexual violence.
Climate related disasters in the region also threaten children’s access to school including through forcing schools to close, intensifying dropouts, families having to choose between school and livelihoods, and making transport and access to school hard for the poorest. This is already happening in Eastern and Southern Africa, where around 28 per cent of the children are unable to attend school. The lowest attendance rates are observed in the Horn, where climate related disasters are particularly prevalent.
School attendance is vital for children because—apart from education—learning institutions provide an environment that protects children from abuse, violence and exploitation.
Children’s mental health is also affected by the short and long-term impacts of repeated disasters. Instability and separation from family can exacerbate the stress and trauma of the experience. Psycho-social support is crucial for the emotional wellbeing, mental health and development of children.
Girls are at particular risk in climate related disasters as they experience unequal access to school, resources and decision-making, particularly in areas facing severe poverty. During and after climate related disasters, girls are more vulnerable to sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. Child marriage, for example, may be used as a coping mechanism by families who experience economic hardship induced by environmental disasters. Girls who are married are at risk of physical and sexual abuse, poor nutrition, and increased chance of maternal neonatal death.
Mukhier called for a more proactive approach: “Local humanitarian actors need to take urgent, coordinated, and preventative actions to better protect children from the dire consequences of climate related disasters in the Africa region. We need to better anticipate protection needs and take practical actions. Children have not contributed to the climate crisis and yet they carry its heaviest burdens today and for the decades to come. We need to do better to ensure we work with children as partners and prioritize their protection and education.”
The IFRC urges humanitarian actors to: (1) recognize the impact of climate change related disasters on children; (2) invest in child protection and education systems, including localized coordination mechanisms; (3) include children, both boys and girls, in climate disaster related decision-making processes and the development of local solutions; and (4) prioritize anticipatory action to protect children from the impacts of climate disasters.
The climate crisis is a humanitarian emergency. Every day, we are seeing the growing impacts of climate change. In thelastmonthsalone, we have seen millions of people’s lives and livelihoodsaffectedby hurricanes and typhoons in Central America and throughout South-East Asia.
Our recently publishedIFRCWorld DisastersReport“Come Heator High Water: Tackling the Humanitarian Impacts of the Climate Crisis Together”found that,in 2019, 77% of all disasters that were triggered by natural hazards were classified as climate or weather related. In the future, we expect extreme climate and weather-relatedhazardsto further increase in number, intensity and variability.
Though we are living in a climate crisis, we don’t have to accept that climate disasters are inevitable.We can make a difference now, by scaling up climate action today and by becoming more “climate smart",meaning that wesystematicallyuseclimatescienceand forecastsmore intelligentlyto enable people to anticipate, absorb and adapt to climate shocks, and limit our climate and environmental impact.
This is whytheIFRC supports theClimate Vulnerable Forum’s“Midnight Climate Survival Deadline for the Climate” initiativeand its call for enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions under the UNFCCC mechanism.Only by scaling up ourcollectiveactions today can we reach the objectives of the Paris Agreement andreducethe humanitarian impacts of the climate crisis.
At the IFRC,ourfirst priorityis – and will always be –to supportthe communities that are most exposed and vulnerable to climate risks and who have the least capacity/ability to manage those risks.
The time to act is now.We look forward to working with partnerstotackle the climate crisis together.Letusnot miss our chance.