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Geneva, 4 October 2021 – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched today an innovative campaign showcasing the impact of climate change on people’s lives across the globe. The campaign, #ClimateChangedMe, takes a twist on a typical “self-help” book and presents climate change as the “ultimate life-changing experience”.
Ahead of the campaign launch, the IFRC has gathered over 100 voices from community members, volunteers, and activists, also including Greta Thunberg and Fridays for Future. During short video clips, people describe how the climate crisis has already impacted their lives and ask the question: “Climate changed me. Will my story change you?”. In the run-up to COP26, the user-generated campaign will continue to gather stories, which will be collated and released as an e-book.
Speaking about the #ClimateChangedMe campaign, Greta Thunberg said:
“The climate crisis isn’t some unknown problem we can postpone. It is here now and has already had catastrophic impacts on people’s lives. In every region of the world, people are already feeling the impact of climate change on their daily lives, but those living in the most affected areas are being disproportionately hit, despite being the ones contributing to it the least. We want this campaign to spread awareness and inspire people to get involved, talk to and put pressure on their leaders.”
The climate crisis has slipped down the global agenda as nations battle to curb the spread of COVID-19 and minimize its immediate and long-term impacts on health and economies. Since the start of the pandemic, extreme-weather events have affected the lives of more than 139 million people and killed over 17,000. The global investment in COVID-19 recovery proves that governments can act decisively and drastically in the face of imminent global threats. The same energy and action on climate change is overdue.
Francesco Rocca, IFRC President, said:
“Climate change is already affecting our lives and it is only going to get worse. No region in the world has been spared by the devastating impacts of extreme weather events. Ahead of COP26, we call on world leaders to make concrete commitments not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the targets set out in the Paris agreement by 2050, but also to address the existent and imminent humanitarian impacts of climate change, investing in community adaptation, anticipation systems and local action. Every day, we are witnessing the impact of human-made climate change. The climate crisis is here, and we need to act now.”
By 2050, 200 million people every year could need humanitarian assistance as a result of a combination of climate-related disasters and the socio-economic impact of climate change.
Eric Njuguna from Fridays for Future said:
“It all narrows down to a single child and that child is someone’s sibling, best friend or cousin. Fridays for future joined the #ClimateChangedMe campaign to humanize the numbers.”
The #ClimateChangedMe campaign also showcases stories of resilience and sheds light on the role of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers across the world in preparing communities to prevent and adapt to climate risks.
Join IFRC for a discussion with Fridays for Future on Twitter Spaces at 11:00 am CEST Monday 4 October.
Share the campaign on social media using the hashtag: #ClimateChangedMe
Readmore atclimatechanged.me
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
In Geneva:
Marie Claudet, +33 786 89 50 89 , [email protected]
Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 43 67, [email protected]
Geneva, 25 January 2021 – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) announced today a major expansion of one of the world’s only means of channeling international funds directly to frontline disaster responders.
The announcement of plans to at least double the size of the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) comes as governments and experts gather virtually for the 2021 Climate Adaptation Summit, hosted by the Netherlands.
IFRC Secretary General, Jagan Chapagain, said the expansion of DREF was part of broader efforts to adapt Red Cross emergency responses to the increased crisis-caseload caused by climate change.
“In the past three decades, the average number of climate and weather-related disasters has increased nearly 35 per cent. Over the past decade alone, 83 per cent of all disasters were caused by extreme weather and climate-related events that killed 410,000 people and affected 1.7 billion.
“It is unrealistic and irresponsible to expect that the needs created by these events have been or will be met by international actors. Instead, we need to do better job of supporting the efforts of local responders, including National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
“This is one of the strengths of DREF. Its funds go directly to local Red Cross and Red Crescent responders who are already on the ground and supporting people affected by a disaster,” said Chapagain.
The DREF has supported more than 200 million people since its inception. In recent years, an average of about 30 million Swiss francs has been channeled through the DREF on an annual basis. The IFRC plans to work with donors to double this in 2021, with a view to growing the fund to an estimated 100 million Swiss francs per year by 2025.
In addition to growing DREF, IFRC is also moving forward with expanding its scope by supporting local Red Cross and Red Crescent efforts to anticipate disasters and mitigate their impact. Under this methodology, humanitarian funding is released for pre-agreed early actions based on forecast and risk data to reduce the impact of severe weather events on vulnerable populations.
This approach – known as Forecast-based Action – was used six times in 2020 to protect and support at risk communities in Bangladesh, Ecuador, Mongolia and Mozambique - for instance, through early evacuation or efforts to reinforce houses.
IFRC’s Jagan Chapagain said:
“It’s not just about how much money is directed to local actors, it’s also about how and when that money is used. For years, we have warned that the world’s reactive approach to disaster management was inadequate. We are committed to changing how we respond to disasters. But to do so effectively, we need the support of governments and donors.”
For over three decades, IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) has been the quickest, most efficient, and most transparent mechanism for donors to channel global funding directly to local humanitarian actors.
National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide are embedded within the very communities they serve, and therefore uniquely placed to provide urgent assistance tailored to people’s needs, to save lives, and support longer term recovery.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It is a pleasure to address the 2023 Belt and Road Ministerial Forum for International Cooperation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management.
I congratulate the Government of China for their leadership on this initiative, which has marked significant achievements and efforts on disaster risk reduction and emergency management over the past ten years.
The IFRC welcomes our partnerships, including with the Government of China, that supports our Disaster Response Emergency Fund for the most efficient response to disasters and crises.
Friends and colleagues, we have witnessed a year of unprecedented disasters around the world, which have been further compounded by climate change and geopolitical conflicts.
Global humanitarian needs are rising at an alarming rate.
These needs are vastly outstripping the resources available to address them.
The human costs of disasters and crises remains unacceptably high.
As the world’s largest global humanitarian network, with a unique global and local reach, the IFRC has been supporting the National Societies in impacted countries to respond to the needs of crisis-affected communities.
The Government of China and the Red Cross Society of China have also been providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to our IFRC network.
Still, more needs to be done.
Today, I have three important messages I would like to share with you.
Firstly, the climate crisis is the biggest multiplier in increasing disaster risks.
If humanity fails to act, hundreds of millions of people will put in a highly increased disaster risk because of the humanitarian impacts of the climate crisis.
There is an urgent need to integrate climate adaptation in emergency preparedness and response.
The IFRC is working with our member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across the world to strengthen the coordination, preparedness and response to large-scale disasters and crises.
Secondly, investing in disaster risk reduction saves lives and livelihoods.
Over the last decade, some of the most recent—and often predictable—extreme weather events were the most deadly, costly, and devastating.
The IFRC network has been transforming our emergency response mechanisms to integrate early warning approaches that anticipate disasters so that people can act ahead of time to save lives and livelihoods.
This helps them recover and build resilience to the next disaster.
It is encouraging to see recent efforts in China to reinforce disaster prevention measures and scale up early warning and early action systems.
Finally, global solidarity and multi-sectoral collaboration is must to bring the disaster preparedness and emergency response to scale.
It will take joining forces to prepare for and effectively respond to the potential mega disasters.
No one organization can do this alone.
The Belt and Road Initiative on Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management offers us a platform and opportunity to work together and confront the challenges of today and in the future.
I am especially pleased to see that localization and investment in local actors is included in this years’ Joint Statement.
The IFRC welcomes collaboration with the Government of China and other countries along the Belt and Road Initiative to reduce the humanitarian needs.
I wish you all a successful Ministerial Forum, and I wish you many positive discussions and outcomes from this important event.
Thank you.
Over the past 20 years, the number of climate-related events and people affected in Africa has risen dramatically. Successive devastating crises, such as droughts in the Horn of Africa and deadly cyclones and floods in Mozambique and Libya, will likely continue as the frequency and impact of climate extremes continue to intensify. Africa´s population is also projected to double in the next 30 years, meaning more will be impacted in the coming years if nothing is done.
We cannot allow lives to be lost in predictable disasters. Early warning systems with early action are the most effective and dignified way to prevent an extreme weather event from causing a humanitarian crisis—especially for the most vulnerable and remote communities.
Two weeks ago, the Africa Climate Summit 2023 (ACS23) and the Africa Climate Week 2023 were convened in Nairobi. Leaders from governments, businesses, international organizations, and civil society gathered to explore ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while adapting to the mounting fallout from the climate crisis.
Shortly after, the IFRC hosted the 10th Pan African Conference (PAC) bringing together Red Cross and Red Crescent leadership from 54 countries to discuss renewing investment in the continent.
The ACS23 had only just concluded when the continent was struck by two major disasters: a massive earthquake in Morocco and Storm Daniel in Libya, both claiming thousands of lives and wiping out years of development.
Rapid analysis of Storm Daniel has shown climate change made the catastrophe ‘far more likely’. And while earthquakes are not climate-related, the impact of the Morocco earthquake will linger for years, making affected communities more vulnerable to climate-related risks and hazards.
The IFRC network quickly mobilized resources and emergency teams in both countries to support affected people and get urgently needed humanitarian assistance to hard-to-reach areas. But both disasters point to the need to invest in multi-hazard and people-centered risk reduction, adaptation and resilience in communities before disasters strike—a resounding call at the ACS23 and PAC.
Africa has a strong network of 54 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the majority of which have signed our Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations which aims to galvanize a collective humanitarian response to the climate and environmental crisis. However, we need to do more to leverage our combined strengths, expertise, and resources to address the complex and diverse humanitarian challenges the continent is facing.
While there are success stories to celebrate, fundamentals of National Society Development (NSD), along with risk management, localization, digital transformation, and improved membership coordination remain central to the ambition of African National Societies to deliver the most effective humanitarian, public health, and development services to their communities.
These challenges and achievements were reviewed at the 10th PAC, with reflections and lessons turned into a reference framework for new actions and targets for African National Societies over the next four years.
At the ACS23, an initiative politically endorsed at COP was launched for the continent: the Early Warnings for All Africa Action Plan. The IFRC, with its long and in-depth experience in disaster management, will lead the preparedness and response pillar of the plan and support the dissemination and communication pillar. The latter involves leveraging digital technology, such as mobile networks, apps, and social media platforms, to reach a wider audience and ensure the delivery of warnings in a timely manner.
A huge step in the right direction, the ACS23 also provided space for:
African leaders to boldly speak on their climate ambitions, calling for urgent action and showcasing the proactive approach taken by African countries to address the impacts of the changing climate on the most vulnerable.This was clearly summarized in the Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change.
Youth and children to reflect on their power as young people to drive meaningful climate action and change in their society.
Discussion on ways to boost investments in interventions around women’s empowerment, green growth, and climate action.
A call by African leaders for accountability to countries responsible for the highest emissions to honour their commitments to operationalize the loss and damage fund, including the pressure for a shift in the global financing architecture.
As we gear up to COP 28 in Dubai, it will be crucial for the African continent to have a joint and common position on key issues related to the climate crisis, especially on prioritizing the most vulnerable communities, unlocking more and flexible financing for adaptation, and calling for further, urgent action around loss and damage commitments made at COP 27.
We need to continue dialogue with the most at-risk and vulnerable communities to address the gaps in the Nairobi declaration as we work to mobilize local resources for innovative and tangible solutions to the climate crisis.
The major global conference on climate and health organized by the French Red Cross in the Mediterranean city of Cannes ended yesterday. Described as “the first humanitarian COP” by Jean-Jacques Eledjam, President of the French Red Cross, in an opening address, the two-day World Conference on Health and Climate Change was aimed at linking global ambitions to the experience of the Red Cross and Red Crescent network and its partners.
Some 400 officials, academics, humanitarians and other concerned people from the all over the world took part in 15 debates, including Laurent Fabius, President of France’s Constitutional Council who was also president of the COP21 climate talks that secured the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The Cannes conference was timed to commemorate the centenary of the IFRC, created as the League of Red Cross Societies by the American, British, French, Italian and Japanese Red Cross in 1919, shortly after they had also met in Cannes’s historic Théâtre Croisette to coordinate their work.
On Tuesday IFRC Secretary General Elhadj As Sy said he hoped the conference would “start planting the seeds for the next visionary 100 years”.
In a keynote address he began by commiserating with the French people over the fire at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, Mr Sy said it was no longer possible to deny the impact of climate change on the “triptych of people’s lives, livestock and livelihoods”.
It was also going to be “the source of the conflicts of tomorrow [which will] no longer be around mineral resources but a commodity as simple and easy as water”.
Mr Sy told the Cannes audience: “Today the scale and magnitude of the issues of yesterday are in no way comparable. The numbers are not the same; the frequencies are not the same; the severities are not the same.
“We are more equipped today than ever before, but I’m not sure that we have the same sort of inspiration, the same resolve, or the same leadership.” Now, he argued, it was time to “communicate a sense or urgency that people need these things”.
For the Red Cross and Red Crescent, he added, “where it matters most, we have to be there all the time, and all the time beside people in need – before the shocks, before the outbreaks, and also during, and most importantly after”.
Mr Sy also argued that “we cannot always blame climate change” for the “doom and gloom” abroad in the world. “Maybe we should start where it matters most, with each of our individual behaviours,” looking at consumption patterns, how we care for each other, or not, and how we plan our communities and cities.
‘Images and stories’
In other IFRC engagement in Cannes, International Federation President Francesco Rocca, in his opening address on Monday, said global action on climate is growing “and this is a very good sign. But the fact is that interest is not keeping up with the rising risk.
“We in the Red Cross and Red Crescent have the responsibility to raise the profile of the issue of climate change, take action to address the rising risks, and prepare for the important [global] discussions” later this year.
IFRC Director of Health and Care Emanuele Capobianco outlined its four-point policy on plugging gaps to achieve universal health care: expanding human resources and the volunteer base, going the “last mile” to reach the most vulnerable communities, fighting epidemics – some of them now climate-related, and instituting financial protections.
He earlier tweeted that he had travelled to Cannes from Beira, Mozambique with “images and stories that are a stark reminder of why this conference is important.”
Detailing some anticipatory financing mechanisms already in use in the humanitarian sector, such as German-supported forecast-based financing, Under Secretary General for Partnerships,JemilahMahmood said it was vital to leverage finance for “the ‘perfect storm’ of climate change and poverty and their health consequences”. Moving from reactive to anticipatory finance, she argued, was key.
Monday’s opening session heard an impassioned plea for greater ambition on climate from Alex Pinano, President of the Marshall Islands Red Cross, the global Movement’s newest National Society: “We don’t want two degrees. We want 1.5 or we will become the nomads of the Pacific. Our home, our paradise, will disappear.
Huge gap
Climate Centre Director Maarten van Aalst facilitated a specialist workshop on adapting to heat waves in urban areas where participants expressed their strong commitment to raise ambition to address what was described as “among the biggest killers” among natural disasters.
Karine Laaidi of Public Health France said heatwave plans including national early warning had reduced mortality dramatically since 2003, although it was still in the hundreds and even thousands annually.
She said that key interventions included the need to further raise awareness of risk, including among vulnerable elderly, and ensure people look after each other – both areas where organizations like the Red Cross Red Crescent can play a key role.
Discussions also highlighted that there is a huge gap in awareness and even basic data in many developing countries, though mortality and economic impacts are equally significant.
On Monday, Nick Watts of the Lancet Countdown research collaboration told the conference that 157 million more “heatwave exposure events” happened to people globally in 2017 – an increase of 18m over the previous year, with 153 billion hours of labour lost – an increase of 62m.
Report: Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre
An interview with Juan Bazo, climate scientist with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, by Susana Arroyo Barrantes, IFRC Americas Regional Communications ManagerSusana Arroyo:In October 2023, Hurricane Otis caused a lot of astonishment after it went from a tropical storm to a category 5 hurricane in just 12 hours. According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, it was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded on the Mexican Pacific coast. Did El Niño have something to do with the rapid intensification of Otis?Juan Bazos: It was a combination of warm oceans, along with El Niño. In addition, the entire Pacific coastline of Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and the coasts of Costa Rica, have been very warm. This has allowed the formation of cyclones and storms. Some of these storms have even passed from the Atlantic to the Pacific.Regarding the intensification, this has happened before, Hurricane Patricia in 2015, also had this very rapid intensification in less than 12 hours off the Pacific coast of Mexico, but the impact was not in a very populated area.For a scientific point of view, it is increasingly difficult to forecast this type of intensification. Most, if not all, of the models failed in the short-term forecast, which is one of the most reliable forecasts we have in meteorology. This is due to several factors: the rapid intensification, very local atmospheric conditions, and the temperature of the ocean water in this part of the Mexican coast.Increasingly, intensification is not only occurring in the Pacific and Atlantic of our region, but also in the Indian Ocean. In The Philippines, this has happened many times. That is a challenge, both for the climate services and for the humanitarian response.SA: One thing we depend on to make life-saving decisions is rigorous, accurate, effective forecasts. If we are moving towards an era of greater uncertainty, then we must also look at how we anticipate on other fronts. What can we expect for this year?JB: In the following months, we would normally be entering a neutral period and quickly passing to La Niña phenomenon. And this will also bring its consequences, changing the whole panorama. It could be that this year we will have to prepare for a hurricane season that may be higher than normal. So, we must keep monitoring, considering the climate crisis and the Atlantic Ocean that is still very warm.SA: The IFRC has tried to make more alliances with meteorological institutions dedicated to researching, monitoring, and understanding the climate. Is that one of the paths to the future, to strengthen this alliance? JB: Increasingly, the IFRC has scientific technical entities as its main allies, to make reliable decisions, and I think that is the way we must continue to work. Scientific information will bring us information for our programs and operations at different time scales, in the short, medium, and long term.We must not ignore climate projections but plan how we can adapt knowing that the climate is going to change. This is part of our work, from our policies to our interventions and I think the Red Cross and Red Crescent network does this very well. However, we need to empower ourselves more, get closer to the technical scientific entities, the academia, which are our allies. They can bring us much more information — much richer, much more localized. And this is the next step we must take.SA: Many changes are also coming in the field of meteorology. Now, using artificial intelligence (AI) and increasingly large amounts of data, there will be changes and likely improvements in forecasting. Could we therefore get more reliable forecasts in terms of rapid intensification?JB: Artificial Intelligence opens a lot of room for innovation. Meteorology is not 100 per cent accurate. There is always that degree of uncertainty and there are going to be failures. It is part of our planet's atmospheric chaos, of its complexity and the many variables that play a role in weather forecasting. In that sense, AI will be a great added value for the improvement of forecasts.This brings to the table the need for 1) greater investment in forecast-based early action systems, 2) early warning systems that are more agile, flexible, and capable of informing and mobilizing the population in record time, and 3) humanitarian aid that is pre-positioned to respond to disasters as they occur.IFRC is a lead in the Early Warnings For All Initiative, which will provide early warnings to people across the globe by 2027. Learn more.
Dubai, 10 August 2022–The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) signed a regional Memorandum of Understanding to support joint advocacy, capacity development, and resource mobilization for the coordinated national-level implementation of anticipatory action in response to climate shocks in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The signing took place at the conclusion of an event, “Road to COP27: Anticipatory Action Milestones and Way Forward in MENA”, that was hosted by the International Humanitarian City (IHC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and attended by high-level speakers and representatives from the UAE government, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, WFP, IFRC, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and national societies, regional and international humanitarian organisations including UNDRR, FAO, Start Network, REAP.
The event emphasized the ongoing importance of acting early ahead of climate-related disasters, through anticipatory action. Anticipatory action is an effective way of mitigating the worst consequences of predictable climate risks, which are expected to become more frequent and intense because of climate change and conflict in the MENA region.
“In a region where climate hazards such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves are increasing humanitarian needs, anticipatory action aims to reduce or mitigate the impact of these hazards on the most vulnerable people,” said Mageed Yahia, WFP Representative to the GCC. “We are grateful for the strong representation from the UAE in this event today, an important ally in the quest to make the humanitarian system as anticipatory as possible,” he added.
Over the last few years, WFP and IFRC have been making progress in setting the scene for an anticipatory action (AA) approach in the MENA region for acting earlier ahead of disasters.
“Let us not forget that COP27 goals and vision are mitigation, adaptation, finance, and collaboration. Today we are addressing these four main elements, as Anticipatory Action allows for the mitigation and adaptation of climate change impacts,” said IFRC MENA Deputy Regional Director, Rania Ahmad. “This collaboration between IFRC and WFP will allow for increased sharing of experiences and financing and make the most vulnerable populations better prepared and enhance their resilience.”
During the event, WFP and the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) also launched the “Anticipatory Action in the MENA Region: State of Play and Accelerating Action” report, supported by the Swedish government, which highlights the state of anticipatory action in the region, and its potential to help avoid and reduce the impacts of disasters.
Regional coordination and collaboration across all stakeholders will be necessary to complement efforts and engagements to scale up the anticipatory actions agenda in the region with tangible results.
To support this, IFRC and WFP are establishing the “MENA Anticipatory Action regional community of practice” as a space for technical and advocacy coordination, collaboration, learning exchange, and capacity strengthening on anticipatory action and acting earlier ahead of disasters in the region. The initiative will bring together UN agencies, the Red Cross Red Crescent movement, as well as international organizations, governments, NGOs, the public and private sector, and academia, to coordinate and work together to effectively scale up and deliver anticipatory action programmes as the threat of climate shocks continues to grow.
For more information please contact:
Malak Atkeh, IFRC/GCC, [email protected],+971 564780874
Zeina Habib, WFP/Gulf, [email protected], +971 52 4724971
Abeer Etefa, WFP/MENA, [email protected], +20 1066634352
Reem Nada, WFP/MENA, [email protected], +20 1066634522
This document aims to ensure that disaster risk management programming undertaken by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and its National Societies (NS) can continue safely and effectively in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic until August 2021, extreme weather events affected at least 139.2 million people and killed at least 17,242 people in at least 433 unique events. These figures are certainly an underestimate, as they do not include estimates of numbers of people affected by extreme temperatures, or mortality during drought events.
This research, commissioned by the IFRC and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, offers a preliminary analysis of the compound impacts of extreme weather events and COVID-19. It follows a first scan of these overlapping impacts conducted in September 2020, available to read here.
The IFRC and its specialist reference centre on climate are today outlining the full seven-stage “climate action journey” that has been trialled by the National Societies of Malawi (blogandstorymap), Nigeria and Pakistan and encompasses the key concepts of climate-smart operations and locally led adaptation.It had earlier been formally presented at a training session in Naivasha, Kenya,attended by representatives of 20 African National Societies, as well as IFRC secretariat and Climate Centre specialists.The climate action journey starts with the key enabling factors of institutional buy-in through signing of the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, dedicated staff, seed funding, raised awareness, and the mobilization of youth and volunteersThis year, a range of additional National Societies will embark on the journey to scale up climate action and locally led adaptation: they will be able to increase their knowledge on changing climate-risks and impacts, strengthen capacities and partnerships, and access climate finance with solid proposals.The climate crisis has necessitated the empowering of communities to take charge of their own solutions and to secure for local actors and the most vulnerable communities the international climate finance that is currently falling short.This climate action journey seeks to prepare National Societies to increase adaptation driven by communities.Implementation, evaluationA guide to climate-smart programmes– the journey’s first three stages, centring on climate risk assessment, climate-smart screening and climate-smart planning – was published last year in bothlongandsummaryform; the former includes example of climate-smart programmes in various sectors from the Red Cross Red Crescent in (alphabetically) Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Vanuatu and Zambia.The last four stages of the journey – multi-year climate strategy, engagement with communities on adaptation, design of locally-led adaptation programmes, and implementation followed by evaluation – are detailed in the new publication,The importance of scaling up locally led adaptation, which will be expanded later this year.Climate-smart programmes and operations integrate climate and weather information, including long-term climate projections, “to ensure that, at a minimum, they do not place people at increased risk from new climate extremes and … empower communities to anticipate, absorb and adapt to climate shocks and long-term changes,” the journey text says.Locally led adaptation in all its forms, meanwhile, ensures “communities are empowered to lead sustainable and effective adaptation to climate change at the local level, increasing long-term resilience of communities to climate shocks”.Prisca Chisala, Malawi Red Cross Society Director of Programmes and its climate champion, says in her blog that the climate action journey enabled the National Society to “set our institutional vision and priorities on climate for the next few years”.She adds that the journey has been “a living process, able to be adapted whenever new experience and lessons arise. Experiences and thoughts by National Societies are critical to shape this journey into a tool that will be most helpful to the mission and work of Red Cross Red Crescent.“The National Society has to be at the centre of the journey, defining the direction it’s taking.”IFRC Under Secretary General Xavier Castellanos said today: ”This decade demands an unequivocal commitment to locally led adaptation as we confront the escalating climate crisis. Urgency compels us to strengthen local initiatives and empower local actors to spearhead climate resilience.”The climate action journey empowers numerous National Societies to lead the change, forge impactful partnerships, including with local authorities, and foster the emergence of climate-resilient communities.”Most National Societies are already effective in climate-related areas such as preparedness, anticipatory action, response and recovery, generating entry points for more extensive climate programming and integrating climate considerations into their work.But access to international climate finance that reaches down to the local level is another important component of them becoming climate champions for their countries.
Two dozen people from IFRC offices and delegations around the world — including Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain and President Francesco Rocca — will join Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers in calling for urgent action at the COP 28 Climate Summit.
At a variety of events, private meetings, press conferences and activities, the IFRC will join Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in urging world leaders to prioritize local action, increase financing to help communities adapt, scale-up early action, strengthen climate resilient health systems and to avert, minimize and address loss and damage due to climate-related events.
Here below are just some of the actions the IFRC will be taking during the conference along with links to platforms where you can listen in, follow along and even engage.
This page will be updated as the summit continues
New report on the devastating humanitarian impacts of climate change
Along with the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the IFRC will be launching a report on 3 December focusing on current humanitarian impacts of the climate crisis and the scenarios for the future if action is not taken and humanity does not change course.
The report looks at the implications of what’s known as ‘climate overshoot’ – a world that is, more than the 1.5 degrees warmer than it would have been without climate change. That world would include far worse flooding, droughts, crop failure, wildfires and heatwaves than is already happening. It will also highlight the fact aht the impacts will not be equally distributed as some regions will get even higher temperature averages, while many areas will experience multiple hazards compounding upon one another.
Promoting youth-led climate solutions
The big six youth organizations, including IFRC, will join forces to promote youth-led solutions to the climate crisis. Together we will host an event showcasing the importance of youth involvement.
Linked to this announcement will be a LinkedIn conversation with youth leaders on 4 December, at the IFRC Reclaimed Table (see below). The discussion will delve into youth-led innovation, environmental sustainability, and collaborative ideas for a sustainable future. Learn more by following IFRC on LinkedIn or checking the livestream link below.
The Reclaimed Table at the IFRC Pavilion
To highlight the diverse and very real impacts that climate change is already having on communities around the world, the IFRC has built a table made exclusively from debris from climate-related disasters made from climate-related disasters around the world.
Branches parched by drought in Yemen, planks charred by wildfires in Spain and a door ripped off by flooding in Germany are just some of the artifacts that make up the table.
Visitors at the Summit can scan a QR code that will link them to a web page that details the specific disasters the artifacts come from.
On 6 December, climate activists are invited to take a seat at the table, symbolizing the collective endeavour to reclaim the future and brainstorm about solutions to the climate crisis. Please also follow IFRC’s social media channels to see who will take a seat at the Reclaimed Table during the conference.
Tune into our COP28 livestream on LinkedIn
Join IFRC on LinkedIn to catch livestreams featuring discussions with climate leaders from the Red Cross and Red Crescent network throughout COP28. To ensure you receive a notification when we are LIVE, make sure you are following IFRC on LinkedIn.
Speakers will take on conference daily themes such as health, humanitarian relief and recovery, industry, the impact on indigenous peoples, urbanization, agriculture and water, to name just a few.
Join the conversation on social media
Engage with IFRC on social media and please share using the hashtag #ReclaimOurFutureCOP28
Kuala Lumpur, 15 December 2021 – Asia and the Pacific have experienced relentless and unpredictable climate-related disasters in 2021, severely affecting more than 57 million people during the peak of the global pandemic.
In 2021, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched 26 new operations, 15 of which are climate-related disaster responses. The IFRC is still responding to a further 21 disasters across Asia and the Pacific, from previous years.
South Asia has been the worst hit this year, with millions of people affected by multiple disasters and little time to recover from one to the next.
In India, more than 18 million people have been severely impacted by floods and cyclones this year, according to data from the Indian Government, Disaster Management Division. In Bangladesh, more than half a million people have been swamped by floods, with hundreds of villages marooned for weeks at a time. Around one third of Nepal suffered floods or landslides with many occurring outsides of the traditional monsoon season.
Jessica Letch, IFRC Emergency Operations Manager said:
“For much of this year, millions of families across Asia have been reeling after multiple blows from successive disasters and the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“From India to Indonesia, in Nepal and Bangladesh, our health and emergency teams are reporting livelihoods shattered by frequent and unpredictable climate disasters.”
In China’s Henan Province, 13.9 million people were affected by severe flooding in July. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia has been worst affected by disasters, with more than one million people swamped by floods in the past month alone, according to the Indonesian Government Regional Disaster Authority.
Drought, combined with associated economic collapse – which unfolds slowly but with devastating consequences – is affecting more than 22.8 million people in Afghanistan, according to the latest Integrated Food Security data.
Other countries across Asia have also been hit by multiple disasters. Nearly one million people were swamped by flooding in Thailand, more than half a million people affected by floods and typhoons in the Philippines and over 125,000 people hit by floods in Myanmar. Pacific Island countries also faced significant flooding due to storms and rising sea tides.
“Responding to disasters at the height of the COVID pandemic has involved some of the most complex operations and the changing climate is throwing unpredictable floods and storms at millions of people, making life even tougher,” said Jessica Letch.
“As risks mount with climate change, the IFRC is investing in anticipatory early warning systems to better prepare communities to act before disasters strike, to reduce the loss of lives and livelihoods.”
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
In Kuala Lumpur:
Antony Balmain, +60 12 230 8451,
[email protected]
Stockholm, 2 June 2022 - A new report shows that nature-based solutions could reduce the intensity of climate and weather-related hazards by a staggering 26 per cent, in a world where over 3.3 billion people live in places that are highly vulnerable to climate change. The study from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and WWF highlights how the power of nature to protect people is being overlooked.
The report, “Working with Nature to Protect People: How Nature-based Solutions Reduce Climate Change and Weather-Related Disasters” shows how nature-based solutions can reduce the likelihood of climate change and weather-related events occurring. It sets out how lives can be saved by working with nature-based solutions to prevent exposure to these hazards and support vulnerable communities in adapting to and withstanding the dangers of a warming world. For the first time, the analysis from IFRC and WWF shows that these solutions could provide developing countries with valuable protection against the economic cost of climate change, saving at least US$ 104 billion in 2030 and US$ 393 billion in 2050.
Communities in every region of the world are already experiencing worsening and increasing impacts of climate change, with vulnerable people in low resource countries the hardest hit, and women and children often the most exposed. From 2010 to 2019 alone, sudden-onset climate change and weather-related disasters killed more than 410,000 people.
Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General said: “The climate crisis is driving multiple humanitarian crises around the world. Its impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people is intensifying. Greening nature; restoring forests, farmlands and wetlands are some of the best and most cost-effective ways to support vulnerable communities to adapt to risks and impacts they already face. Protecting nature will protect people.”
Marco Lambertini, Director-General of WWF, said: “Let’s be clear. If we don’t urgently scale up efforts to limit the impacts of a warming world, more lives will be lost, and economies and livelihoods affected. Nature is our greatest ally and also a crucial buffer against climate change. By restoring and protecting it, we can help ecosystems build resilience and continue to provide crucial services to humanity and in particular to the more vulnerable communities.
“Nature-based solutions play a key role in addressing climate change, but the potential benefits of these solutions drop as the global temperature rises - which is why every moment and decision matters to cut emissions and give us the best chance to build a safer and more equitable future.”
Examples of effective nature-based solutions that address climate change include:
Conserving forests to restore degraded land, provide food, guard against droughts and protect communities from strong winds.
Restoring healthy floodplains and wetlands to reduce the impact of floods and promote sustainable agriculture to protect against droughts.
Restoring mangroves and coral reefs to provide a protective barrier from storms, soak up planet-warming carbon dioxide and provide food for local communities and habitats for marine life.
The report kickstarts a partnership between the IFRC and WWF. The report will be launched at Stockholm+50, a UN environmental meeting where leaders will reflect on 50 years of multilateral action. The partnership aims to raise awareness about nature-based solutions and encourage governments, communities, donors, practitioners and the private sector to incorporate nature in their climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction planning.
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Notes for editors:
Nature-based solutions are actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges and climate change effectively and adaptively, while providing benefits to human well-being and addressing biodiversity loss. Learn more here.
The full report is available for download here.
The report will be launched at an event at Stockholm+50 on 3 June at 13:00 CEST. This UN environmental meeting provides leaders with an opportunity to reflect on 50 years of multilateral action to deliver the bold and urgent progress needed to secure a better future on a healthy planet.
The report describes the enabling factors that have supported successful nature-based solutions initiatives and the challenges that are preventing the scale-up of these solutions. A series of case studies highlights IFRC and WWF’s work in the space, shows the potential of nature-based solutions, provides key lessons to guide practitioners in future implementation, and presents how supportive legal and policy frameworks are critical for scaling-up nature-based solutions for building climate and disaster resilience.
For media queries and interview requests, contact:
WWF International Media team: [email protected]
IFRC: Melis Figanmese, +41 79 202 2033, [email protected]
IFRC: Melissa Winkler, +41 76 240 0324, [email protected]
Geneva, 28 June 2019--The Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will press for a greater focus on protecting the world’s vulnerable from the impacts of climate change during the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting (30 June-1 July 2019). Mr Elhadj As Sy will speak on the experience of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers around the world who, every day, see the creeping and destructive reality of climate change, especially in already vulnerable communities.
Mr Sy is a Commissioner on the Global Commission on Adaptation, where he is leading an initiative on preventing extreme weather events from becoming disasters. He can also speak on:
The need for governments to dramatically and urgently increase investment in adaptation measures designed to protect and support the most vulnerable. The first impacts of climate change are already being experienced by the world’s poorest and most at-risk communities: this is where a lot of money and political will needs to be targeted.
The emergence of heatwaves as a deadly threat for developed AND developing countries. This week’s heatwave in Europe is an example of the world we can expect, and cities the world over need to take steps now to ensure that the most vulnerable, including older people, the sick, the very young and people who are socially isolated are protected and supported.
Geneva/Panama, 21 February 2024: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have successfully prepared over 3,000 people in the Dominican Republic, Grenada, and Jamaica to adapt to the climate crisis. Leveraging coastal habitats to reduce risk, this initiative merges cutting-edge conservation science with disaster preparedness.Central to this success is the Resilient Islands Project, an IFRC-TNC collaboration that redefines community resilience by utilizing nature’s protective power against the climate crisis. This approach is critical in the Caribbean, where the proximity of 70% of the population to the coast underscores their vulnerability .In Grenada, the project has designed a climate-smart fisher facility, featuring twenty-one lockers, rainwater harvesting capabilities, and solar energy for electricity generation. Additional benefits include a jetty for ease of access to and from the fishers’ boats and the planting of coastal vegetation to enhanced near-shore habitat, reduced erosion and filtered runoff. These solutions make small-scale fishing safer and more sustainable.Eddy Silva, The Nature Conservancy Project Manager, underscores the broader implications:"The lessons learned from Resilient Islands will increase awareness of climate resilience and help scale up efforts at the local and national levels in all small island developing states across the Caribbean. At a time when weather-related hazards and rising ocean temperatures are becoming more extreme and destructive, this program has demonstrated that mangroves, coral reefs, and reforestation can save lives and livelihoods.”Protecting, managing, and restoring these ecosystems is key to limit people's exposure and vulnerability to hazards. The IFRC and TNC show that this should be done through laws, policies, and climate-resilient development plans that promote science-based decision making, improve early- warning systems and anticipate climate-related disasters.In Jamaica, the Resilient Islands program has enhanced the existing national vulnerability ranking index by including ecosystems indicators. This allows agencies to monitor and measure not only community vulnerability levels but also the habitats’ capacity to protect people and livelihoods.Local actors have also played a critical role in ensuring that climate change solutions are responsive to local needs, inclusive and sustainable.Martha Keays, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas, highlights the indispensable role of local engagement:“One significant lesson learned by the Resilient Islands program is that there is no resilience without localization. Nature-based solutions are community-based solutions, and local actors, including Red Cross volunteers, should be at the core of its design and implementation. We have also learned that change is more likely when complementary organizations work together. The alliance between IFRC and TNC is a model of the innovation, generosity and vision the world needs to address the climate crisis, arguably the greatest challenge of our time.”Dr. Rob Brumbaugh, The Nature Conservancy Caribbean's Executive Director, reflects on the partnership's unique synergy:“The project is a model approach for bringing together organizations with very different but very complementary capabilities. TNC with expertise in cutting-edge conservation science, data and conservation techniques, and the IFRC, the world’s leader in the disaster planning and response.”The Resilient Islands Project is a five-year initiative collaboratively implemented by the IFRC and TNC with support from the German Government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI). The program officially ended with a closing ceremony and project review in Panama City on February 20, 2024.To request an interview or for more information, please contact IFRC at [email protected] or the Nature Conservancy at [email protected] Geneva:Mrinalini Santhanam +41 76 381 5006In Panama:Susana Arroyo Barrantes +50684161771