The Adaptation Fund finances projects and programmes that help vulnerable communities in developing countries adapt to climate change. Initiatives are based on country needs, views and priorities.

The Adaptation Fund was established under the Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and since 2010 has committed US$ 564 million to climate adaptation and resilience activities, including supporting 84 concrete adaptation projects.

Climate change is predicted to greatly affect the poorest people in the world, who are often hardest hit by weather catastrophes, desertification, and rising sea levels, but who have contributed the least to the problem of global warming. In some parts of the world, climate change has already contributed to worsening food security, reduced the predictable availability of fresh water, and exacerbated the spread of disease and other threats to human health.

Helping the most vulnerable countries and communities is an increasing challenge and imperative for the international community, especially because climate adaptation requires significant resources beyond what is already needed to achieve international development objectives.

The Fund is financed in part by government and private donors, and also from a two percent share of proceeds of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) issued under the Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism projects.

PEARL Project Information

Project Details

The objective of the programme is to build and implement an integrated approach to further increase the adaptive capacity of remote island communities and ecosystems to disaster risk and climate change impacts. The sub- objectives for the programme are:

• Strengthening national and local capacity for monitoring and decision making to respond and to reduce risks associated with climate change
• Establishing climate resilient water management instruments using integrated and community based approach.
• Raising awareness and establish a knowledge exchange platform to increase adaptive capacity to revitalise agriculture production systems

The project consists of three components:

Component 1: Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction
Component 2: Integrated Water Security Management Planning and Implementation
Component 3: Revitalised agricultural production systems strengthening island food sources and livelihoods in the Pa Enua

Project Status – Project Under Implementation

Link for PEARL Program Document https://www.adaptationfund.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/01/6531ProposalforCookIslands-2.pdf

SRIC-CC Project Information

Project Details

The programme “Strengthening the Resilience of our Islands and our Communities to Climate Change (SRIC – CC)” sought to strengthen the ability of all Cook Island communities, and the public service, to make informed decisions and manage anticipated climate change driven pressures (including extreme events) in a pro- active, integrated and strategic manner. In achieving this objective, the programme supported, at the national, sectoral, and island levels, implementation of the Cook Islands’ new National Adaptation Plan for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation.

The programme had a 3-pronged approach, ultimately focusing on the implementation of on-the ground adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures at the community level in the Pa Enua. This was integrated with sustainable island capacity building and wider development processes, and supported through enhanced national policy, institutional and knowledge management capacities.

Through implementation of integrated and climate-resilient island development plans targeting all 11 inhabited island of the Pa Enua, and at least 2000 households and over 100 enterprises in the Pa Enua, it was aimed at:

• National level – strengthening policy and institutional capacity and public awareness on climate change and disaster risk reduction, through conducting and updating climate risk assessments, enhancing climate early warning systems tailored to vulnerable sectors, training policy makers and technicians in the relevant government departments;
• Pa Enua – increasing the adaptive capacity of households and businesses and affected sectors, such as agriculture, water supply, tourism, health, fisheries, coastal management, and enhancing the adaptive capacity of local communities through engagement in island level CCA-DRM planning process linked with Island Development Plans and the National Joint Action Plan, and targeted training and awareness-raising activities using different media;
• Pa Enua – strengthening livelihoods through diversifying food production, processing and related subsistence and income-earning activities amongst local communities, improving protection of household and business assets, reducing the risks of disease and death associated with climate-related extreme events, and enhancing the resilience of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems on which the communities, businesses and sectors depend.

Project Status – Closed