Climate Resilience Programs

Barbados has launched the world’s first debt-for-climate-resilience operation, generating US$125 million in fiscal savings aimed at enhancing water and sewage projects resilient to climate change. The model addresses both debt constraints and climate emergencies simultaneously, serving as a powerful example of #blendedfinance in action. Blended finance strategically uses public or philanthropic capital to attract private investment for projects with social or environmental impact. In this case, the collaboration includes the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), European Investment Bank (EIB), and Green Climate Fund (GCF). Together, they've helped Barbados swap high-cost debt for more affordable financing. The loan is structured as a Sovereign Sustainability-Linked Loan (SSLL), with penalties for missed targets that will be reinvested in environmental initiatives. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley stated, “In the face of the climate crisis, this groundbreaking transaction serves as a model for vulnerable states, delivering rapid adaptation benefits for Barbados.” This isn't just a financial move; it symbolises optimism and resilience for developing nations facing similar circumstances. By focusing on climate adaptation, strategic partnerships can create win-win solutions for both the environment and local communities. For more information, see the original article below.

#Barbados has just set a remarkable precedent by leveraging a debt-for-climate resilience swap to fund critical climate-related investments. This innovative mechanism allocates resources for projects like upgrading sewage treatment facilities and also addresses the fundamental question I frequently encounter in discussions with #governments, #NGOs, and #SovereignWealthFunds: ‘Who pays for it?’ Here’s one solution. Although primarily government-driven, the ripple effect on businesses is profound. By channeling funds into #climate adaptation, governments create opportunities for businesses to innovate, collaborate, and drive sustainable solutions. The ultimate beneficiary is our environment. One standout feature of Barbados’ approach is its focus on the #water sector—an often overlooked but vital element of climate resilience. #WaterManagement has historically lacked funding and attention, yet it is crucial for sustainable development. This initiative spotlights the urgent need for greater #investment and action in this area. For regions like the GCC, where water management is both a priority and a challenge, adopting similar schemes could unlock significant benefits. Success will depend on forging partnerships that align governments, financial institutions, and businesses to fund, execute, and deliver impactful outcomes. Barbados’ example is a call to action for regions worldwide to think creatively and act boldly in building climate resilience. #climatefinancing #greeninvestments https://lnkd.in/d9ycd8Qx

As climate disasters grow more frequent and severe, traditional approaches to risk reduction are no longer enough. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Toolkit presents a smarter way forward—leveraging ecosystems to strengthen disaster resilience and climate adaptation. What makes this approach effective? 1. Understanding Risks – Mapping climate hazards and vulnerable areas 2. Aligning Policies – Integrating NbS into national adaptation and disaster plans 3. Engaging Communities – Ensuring inclusive, transparent decision-making 4. Scaling Proven Solutions – From mangrove restoration to urban greening, real-world examples show impact For policymakers, climate advocates, and risk managers, this resource is a game changer.

Between 2001 and 2021, India lost over 2.4% of its tree cover, almost 3,49,000 hectares of green space. Much of this loss is concentrated around #cities, where growing land pressure erases fragile ecologies. The consequences are flash floods, the heat island effect, air pollution, and a slow erosion of what makes #Indiancities #liveable. If our urban environments are to remain inhabitable, climate-responsive infrastructure must move to the centre of planning. We need policies prioritising #ecologicalresilience and #publicspaces that demonstrate how. The 🌳 Malabar Hill Forest Trail 🌿 is a case in point. The 12-acre forest is preserved within city limits with an elevated walkway—light-touch, reversible, and aligned with natural contours—which is proof that #design can serve ecology, not as an exception but as a #prototype. Its approach is replicable in other cities. Start by identifying forest edges, stormwater routes, or biodiversity corridors in dense urban zones and stitching them back into public life through minimal-impact interventions. Let this be a call to reimagine public spaces for #planners, #policymakers, and citizens to begin—around neighbourhoods along forgotten ridges. Hope doesn’t rest in scale. It starts with intent. #architecture #urbanplanning #policy #urban #urbanforest #UrbanDesign #ClimateAction #GreenInfrastructure #PolicyMatters #LiveableCities #MalabarHillForestTrail #IMKArchitects

Your city’s water safety net is thinner than you think. Three cities just rewrote the drought playbook: in completely different ways. Nairobi, Kenya Leans on high-mountain dams. Adds new pipes at record speed. Yet 36 % of water leaks before a tap. Aqaba, Jordan Trading desert wells for Red Sea desalination. AI hunts leaks all day, every day. Reuses every litre of sewage to keep parks green. Barcelona, Spain Europe’s historic drought became a turning point. Now over half its water is desalinated or reclaimed. Injects ultra-clean effluent upstream to shield groundwater. The pattern is clear: 3 moves any water-stressed city can steal 1️⃣ Diversify or die — blend rivers, wells, desalination, and reuse so one failure never sinks the system. 2️⃣ Fix leaks first — Nairobi could erase a 200 MLD shortfall just by tightening valves. 3️⃣ Treat waste as supply — Barcelona’s river boost now covers a quarter of demand. Do ✅ • Pair desalination with renewables to tame energy costs. • Launch managed aquifer recharge for cheap, hidden storage. • Build leak targets into every utility contract. Don’t ❌ • Bet on big dams alone to outrun climate swings. • Stall on wastewater upgrades, each lost year locks in shortages. • Let fragmented agencies leak money as surely as cracked pipes. Water resilience isn’t one big project. It’s a smart portfolio that blends tech, finance, and policy. Which of these three moves could your city copy first: and what’s standing in the way? Repost to help your network. Follow Yulia Titova for more water and climate insights.

I just watched a talk on Design for Climate Disaster and completely questioned my assumption about designing in climate. Most designers design for perfect conditions. We assume fast WiFi. Sunny days. Users who aren't panicking. But designing for climate resilience is the opposite of that. In her talk at Figma Config, Megan Metzger talks about her design work for Forerunner's disaster response platform. The features aren't flashy. They're functional: • Mobile-first design with high-contrast screens • Offline functionality that syncs when connectivity returns • Real-time FEMA calculations for immediate decisions The results: Damage assessment time dropped from 3-4 hours to 45 minutes. Over 15,000 assessments completed faster. This unlocked $2.4 billion in recovery funds sooner. Megan's approach: design for effectiveness over elegance. Her three crisis design principles: 1. Trust comes from reliability under pressure Your system must work with low battery. Weak internet. When everything else fails. 2. The right tools make impossible tasks possible Enable people to do hard things under difficult conditions. 3. Clarity enables action Clear design removes hesitation. Give users confidence to act decisively. Climate disasters aren't rare anymore. They're Tuesday. Every month brings new records. Heat domes. Atmospheric rivers. Category 6 hurricanes. The biggest climate companies are finally getting this: • Rivian designs trucks that maintain navigation during wildfire smoke. Not just daily commutes. • Sunrun designs solar systems that work during blackouts. Not just sunny days. • Climavision builds weather radar for extreme events. Not just forecasting. As more companies enter climate adaptation and disaster response, Megan's principles become survival requirements. The same principle applies to climate technology: • Solar panels that work during storms • EV charging that functions in extreme weather • Carbon tracking that doesn't glitch during peak usage As climate designers, we obsess over features. We should obsess over reliability. Your climate solution isn't just competing with other green tech. It's competing with the status quo when everything goes wrong. The fossil fuel system works reliably. That's why people stick with it. If your sustainable alternative fails during stress, you've lost more than a customer. You've lost trust in the entire climate movement. My takeaway: design for the worst day, not just the best day. Test your climate tech during power outages. During heatwaves. During floods. Because that's exactly when we need it to work. But this also begs the question - How do we balance reliability with efficiency?

Center for Participatory Research & Development (CPRD)’s policy brief, Addressing the Cascading Impacts of Climate Change: Scope of Transboundary Adaptation in the South Asian Delta’ calls for a bold shift from isolated national efforts to unified, regional adaptation strategies as the current frameworks, often focused on local or national responses, fail to address the interconnected nature of cross-border climate risks. https://lnkd.in/g2ta3jmu The escalating cross-border climate impacts in South Asia, concerning with the shared water resources like the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra River systems, the countries of the South Asian subcontinent, from the foothills of the Himalayan Range to the coastal plains, must prioritize cooperation to protect the shared river systems that sustain millions. This should begin with transparent data-sharing, equitable water-sharing agreements, and collaborative disaster response mechanisms. REMARKS 🔍 The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) recognized transboundary adaptation and highlighted the necessity of transboundary cooperation in managing shared water resources, ecosystems, and infrastructure to prevent maladaptation and boost resilience.   🔍 The global stock take process highlighted transboundary collaboration in managing water ecosystems, especially for vulnerable regions   🔍 The Glasgow-Sharm el-Sheikh Work Programme (GlaSS) also incorporated transboundary risks into its framework discussions with calls to integrate transboundary climate risk more explicitly into adaptation frameworks, setting a precedent for future COPs.   POLICY ARGUMENT AT COP 29 📢 Initiate a process at COP 29 for developing a collaborative framework for assessing and addressing cascading risk of climate change across the boundaries. The Frameworks must move beyond territorial approaches and foster regional collaboration in adaptation planning, with an emphasis on joint governance of shared resources, data transparency, and policies that reflect the interdependence of nations facing common climate risks.   📢 Establish an international regulation under the GGA: The COP 29 should initiate discussion for establishing an international regulation and its governance structure under the GGA to guide and regulate trans-boundary adaptation actions while also ensuring their means of implementation.

One of the most effective climate initiatives I’ve read about this month came from a village called Benga, a quiet village in Busia County, Kenya. Through the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) program, a new model of climate resilience is taking root, not as theory, but as thriving quarter-acre farms that feed families, generate income, and challenge the narrative that rural communities are helpless in the face of climate change. At the heart of this initiative is a 30-acre climate-resilient horticultural park in Benga village. It’s been divided among 120 smallholder farmers, each receiving ¼-acre to practice climate-smart agriculture. The crops are Capsicum, kale, butternut, and watermelon. Crops chosen not just for taste, but for climate compatibility, nutrition, and market demand. These farmers are no longer waiting on rain. They’ve adopted solar-powered irrigation, drip and sprinkler systems, and even vegetable drying and cooling infrastructure. -8 acres are under drip irrigation -22 acres use sprinklers -All systems powered sustainably The outcome is food, freedom, and finance. “I used to depend on my neighbours for food. Now I grow crops that earn me Sh2,500 every week,” says Agnes Anyango, a farmer from Nambale. That’s not just cash flow. That’s dignity restored. That’s children fed. That’s resilience in action. Each farmer now earns KES 2,000–2,500 weekly on average, often more. It’s not charity. It’s earned. It’s sustainable. And it’s transformative. This is what food security looks like when it’s decentralized and driven by the people. However, challenges are inevitable. Despite their innovation, the farmers face relentless climate pressures: -Perennial rains -Hailstorms -Flash floods Crops like capsicum and leafy greens are particularly vulnerable. The farmers are asking for greenhouses to protect what they’ve already achieved. To keep children fed when floods come. To hold the line against a changing climate. “If nothing is done, the rains will undo all our work,” warns Michael Barasa, another farmer from Benga. This is not a plea. It’s a pragmatic, deeply informed ask from people who know the land best. Let’s do more than admire their resilience. Let’s listen to what they need. Let’s fund more Bengas. Let’s remember that sometimes, the most revolutionary solutions grow from the most ordinary places. The future of climate action is local. Let’s invest like it.😊 #ClimateResilience #FLLoCA #FoodSecurity #SmartAgriculture #Busia #Kenya #GrassrootsLeadership #ClimateJustice #AfricanAgriculture #LocallyLedDevelopment #Sustainability #ClimateActionNow

Ancestral Nature-Based Solutions in Algeria: Wisdom for Climate Adaptation Algeria’s ancestral, community-driven practices have long helped people thrive in arid and semi-arid regions. Rooted in indigenous ecological knowledge, these solutions offer modern inspiration for climate adaptation under UN–IUCN NbS principles. 🌊 1. Foggaras – Ancient Underground Irrigation (Sahara) ➡️ Underground tunnels channel groundwater to oases. 🌿 Adaptation: Reduce evaporation, protect aquifers, ensure fair water sharing. 💡 Modern use: Decentralized water systems & recharge projects. 🌾 2. Jessour & Tabias – Rainwater Harvesting (Aurès, Nemencha) ➡️ Terraced earthen dams capture and store runoff. 🌿 Adaptation: Improve soil moisture, recharge aquifers, prevent erosion. 💡 Modern use: Pair with micro-dams & watershed plans. 🌳 3. Green Dam Heritage – Reforestation Belt ➡️ Large-scale steppe restoration based on local grazing knowledge. 🌿 Adaptation: Combat desertification, regulate microclimate, store carbon. 💡 Modern use: Combine with community forestry & ANR. 🐪 4. Pastoral Mobility – Adaptive Grazing Systems ➡️ Seasonal livestock movement across ecosystems. 🌿 Adaptation: Prevent overgrazing, spread drought risk, preserve ecosystems. 💡 Modern use: Integrate into land-use & ecosystem-based planning. 🌴 5. Oasis Agroecosystems – Sustainable Food Systems ➡️ Multi-layered crops: palms, fruit trees, and vegetables. 🌿 Adaptation: Reduce heat stress, conserve water, support food security. 💡 Modern use: Modernize via permaculture & drip irrigation. 🏠 6. Vernacular Architecture – Climate-Resilient Design ➡️ Eco-built homes (clay, stone) with natural ventilation (e.g., Ghardaïa). 🌿 Adaptation: Keep interiors cool naturally, low carbon footprint. 💡 Modern use: Integrate passive cooling in urban planning. 🤝 7. Traditional Governance – Djemâa & Touiza ➡️ Collective systems for managing resources and cooperation. 🌿 Adaptation: Strengthen social cohesion & equitable water/range use. 💡 Modern use: Basis for community-led NbS governance.  

Water Futures: Mobilizing Multi-Stakeholder Action for Resilience! I. Water Water is life. It sustains ecosystems, fuels economies and nourishes communities, yet our planet faces a growing water crisis. II. Challenge Climate change, population growth and industrial demand are driving water systems to the brink III. Local Scale At a local scale, innovations in water solutions are critical, but require greater investment, data-driven approaches and supportive governance and policy IV. Ecosystem Scale At an ecosystem scale, a new approach to water use and ecosystem protection that recognizes and values the full hydrological cycle is needed V. Five pathways 1. Holistic water valuation Better understanding and reflection of the value, price and cost of water are key for fostering initiatives and incentives for circularity as well as the better use and treatment of freshwater ecosystems. 2. Fit-for-purpose finance Fit-for-purpose financing mechanisms that are deployed from diverse sources across project stages to mobilize capital are essential for supporting measures to address the two focus areas. 3. Sustained basin-level partnerships Basin-level partnerships and collaborative approaches enable a holistic and system-wide approach towards rethinking water systems at all scales. 4. Adaptive water governance Adaptive water governance approaches ensure resilience in times of uncertainty, while providing the incentive mechanisms required for holistic and systemic action across water scales. 5. Collaborative policy-innovation nexus Policy that is in sync with innovation needs and progress is a catalyst for water solution development and deployment at scale across the focus areas. VI. This Paper This white paper calls for a transformative approach to water resilience, where “resilience” refers to a “system's ability to anticipate, reduce, accommodate, and recover from disruptions in a timely, efficient, and fair manner” Make sure to check out this insightful report by World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Company here: https://lnkd.in/dqYHMDHB #innovation #ecosystems #sustainability #water #oceans #policy #collaboration