The climate crisis remains a defining issue of our time that not only has detrimental effects on the environment and the resilience of natural ecosystems, but also ripple effects on every sector of the economy and society, including economic stability, agriculture and food security, water access and sanitation, health and well-being, education, tourism and livelihoods. Poor and vulnerable populations as well as Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States continue to be most at risk and disproportionally affected.  

 

 

With these challenges in mind, in 2022, the GEF Small Grants Programme and the Government of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) entered into a third phase of partnership focused on supporting communities to adapt to climate impacts in 26 countries across the Asia- Pacific region. The AUD 10M contributed by DFAT will be used to finance community-based projects over the period 2022 to 2026. The Community- Based Adaptation Programme (CBA Phase 3) builds on the experiences from previous CBA phases implemented over the last 10 years.

 

Enhancing resilience of local communities to climate impacts and disasters is not only an ethical imperative but can also have positive impacts on the environment, the economy, and well-being, as well as reduce inequalities and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. The ability to adapt to climate change is vital for vulnerable and marginalized local actors and communities in particular, women, youth, persons with disabilities and Indigenous Peoples.

 

Through CBA Phase 3 local communities and civil society will have direct access to funding to design and implement initiatives that are locally relevant and context specific. Initiatives will focus on food and water security, coastal zone management, skills development and training, livelihood diversification, Disaster Risk Reduction, and other challenges identified by the communities.

 

 

From 17-21 July 2023, SGP officially launched CBA Phase 3 at an inception workshop in Suva, Fiji. SGP National Coordinators from the Asia-Pacific region received training on the new phase, discussed ideas and implementation plans, and shared successful experiences and learnings from previous CBA phases.

 

As part of the workshop, a site visit was arranged to the Maroroi Dreketi Project in Vunisinu Village, a low-lying, coastal community about one hours’ drive from the capital city Suva. With SGP’s support, the small community has been implementing a climate adaption project focused on improving drainage to address flooding, which has been exacerbated by climate change in recent years. The community also developed a village Disaster Risk Reduction Plan in collaboration with local partners, so that persons can be better prepared for flooding and other disasters. Villagers are also actively growing flood tolerant crops such as taro to improve food security and increase the village’s self-sufficiency.

 

 

CBA is a locally led process that empowers people and communities to plan for and cope with current and future climate change impacts. The CBA approach is inclusive and centred on the priorities and processes chosen by the community. It involves shifting the power to local actors to lead and meaningfully participate in adaptation actions. It provides information and concrete examples on potential impacts of climate change and mitigative measures which are context and location specific and managed by the community. CBA also generates information and learnings that can be adapted, shared and replicated in appropriate formats to other communities and climate change adaptation projects.

 

Learn more about SGP’s CBA programme HERE.