Enhancing climate resilience in rural India (CAFRI II)

Context

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Adaptation Gap Report 2023, developing countries need ten to eighteen times the current international public finance flows for climate adaptation. This decade, projected annual costs stand at around 190 billion euros, rising to 330 billion euros annually for domestic priorities like agriculture, water supply, and health. These figures align with India's third National Communication and Initial Adaptation Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

Recognising these challenges, India has gradually integrated climate adaptation strategies into its national policies and programmes. Accordingly, the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) aim to reduce climate risks for vulnerable populations and industries. These efforts place special emphasis on increasing climate financing instruments in agriculture, as well as in water management across the Himalayan, coastal, and Indo-Gangetic plains regions.

Objective

State governments and financial institutions have established climate action plans that are risk-informed and gender-responsive.

Approach

The project enhances climate resilience by downscaling scientifically informed gender-responsive models that are aligned with the State Action Plans for Climate Change (SAPCCs). It concentrates on enabling policy makers to access financial resources from public and private institutions.

Core project activities include:

• Gender initiatives: The project engages with the state and central governments as well as civil society institutions to foster women’s participation in local development planning.
• Climate risk-informed planning: It improves the skills of decision-makers, organisations, and civil society to handle climate risks and build resilience through targeted training and development programmes.
• Climate finance: The project collaborates with financial institutions to expand the use and understanding of climate financing instruments for adaptive business models.

Last update: May 2024