From Colombian coastline to Armenian fields – the local ideas bolstering climate action worldwide

Nelly Ibargüen takes a deep breath, pulls on her diving mask and plunges into the turquoise waters off the Colombian coast. She resurfaces, throwing fish hooks, torn-off pieces of fishing net and other fishing gear into the boat. Lost and discarded equipment floats in the coastal waters as if still being operated by the ghosts of long departed fishermen. Ghost fishing, as the phenomenon is known, is not only hazardous to marine animal populations and biodiversity, but also poses a risk to humans who depend on fishing. 

This is why the local population launched the ‘Guardians of the Sea’ initiative, which deploys certified divers to recover lost fishing nets and other fishing gear from the ocean and put a stop to ghost fishing. One of these divers is Nelly Ibargüen:  ’I came here to do my bit for these defenceless species in the sea,’ she says. ‘When we clean up the rocky reefs, we are also talking about long-term food security.’ 

Biodiversity requires global protection

The initiative receives financial support from Germany through the IKI Small Grants programme, a component of the German Federal Government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI). The IKI sees the German Environment Ministry (BMUKN) supporting environmental and climate action projects in other countries. The programme provides funding to small local groups for use in effective climate action and biodiversity conservation projects. Climate change and biodiversity loss are not contained by national borders and so they must be tackled through coordinated, global action. IKI Small Grants are implemented by GIZ.

And the scheme is proving successful. Guardians of the Sea is one of over 200 project ideas from 60-plus countries that GIZ has supported through the IKI Small Grants initiative over the last seven years.  As a result, some 70,000 people, 55% of them women and 25% members of indigenous communities, have become more resilient to climate change. The projects have also led to better protection, restoration or more sustainable management of 108,000 hectares of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, an area twice the size of Lake Constance.

Taking an integrated approach to climate action and business

Climate action is not necessarily about sacrifice and economic disadvantage. This can be seen in Armenia, where urgently needed solar power systems compete for space with agricultural fields. However, in Jermuk, energy generation is readily combined with food production. The agrivoltaic system combines climate-friendly energy generation with agricultural activity in the same field. While solar modules deliver some 40,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year, blackberries grow underneath. The modules protect the plants from intense sunlight and reduce water evaporation. In this way, the project helps mitigate the impact of climate change and at the same time encourages more efficient use of scarce agricultural land. The project benefits 150 young people and women from five regions . Their newly acquired knowledge will also help to implement similar approaches in other regions.