
Climate Change
Helping countries and communities predict and prepare for climate shocks and stressors can minimize losses, reduce vulnerabilities and build adaptive capacities to respond to these impacts, while safeguarding development gains.
Climate Change Adaptation
Climate-related shocks and stressors are increasing in frequency and intensity around the globe, acting as a threat multiplier. Recurrent droughts, changing precipitation patterns, rising temperatures and sea levels, and more intense storms can create new risks and exacerbate existing social, economic and environmental pressures like urbanization, land use change, and environmental degradation. Weather and climate can have profound impacts across sectors and undermine current and future progress towards development goals, such as food and water security, improved health, biodiversity, and economic growth.
Climate adaptation efforts can support resilience-building by anticipating and preparing for, both the current and projected changes in weather and climate. Climate adaptation enables people, communities and systems to better manage climate and disaster risk, helping efforts to reduce poverty and foster inclusive growth.
Approach
Addressing these challenges for more effective resilience programming through adaptation efforts requires:
- Adding a climate-lens to development efforts, by improving the availability, quality and use of weather and climate information available to decision-makers in support of early action
- Mainstreaming adaptation measures into governance, planning and budgeting so resilience can be increased democratically and equitably
- Piloting and disseminating risk-reducing management practices for climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, health, and water
- Mobilizing finance for adaptation measures from multiple sources
Climate variability and change is a critical risk across the areas where we work. USAID supports countries and communities to build their capacity to anticipate and prepare for current and projected changes in weather and climate patterns.
Please visit ClimateLinks.org for additional information and content on USAID's climate change investments.
More About Climate Change
Resilience Evidence Forum 2023 Synthesis Report
19 Sep 2023 - USAID , Global Resilience Partnership
Explore key discussions held at the June 2023 Resilience Evidence Forum in this comprehensive guide to resilience-building methodologies and evidence.
Anticipatory Action in Advance of "Wicked Crises"
29 Aug 2023 - SPARC , Simon Levine , Lena Weingärtner , Alex Humphrey , Muzzamil Abdi Sheikh
Explore the types and timing of Anticipatory Action interventions that improve impact and save lives by supporting farmers and pastoralists.
The Role of Mental and Psychosocial Well-Being and Support in Household Resilience in Somalia
02 Aug 2023 - USAID , ACDI/VOCA , Mercy Corps
Mental health and psychosocial factors are significant in household resilience. Designing programming with these contributors in mind is vital in a crisis.
Assessing Communities’ Coping Strategies during the Current Drought in Somalia
02 Aug 2023 - USAID , ACDI/VOCA , Mercy Corps
While all Somalians struggled with drought, outlier households provide insight into less common, but highly effective, coping strategies.