World Resources Projects
Working at the intersection of the environment & human needs
The Netherlands Climate Change Studies Assistance Programme (NCSSAP) in Yemen will compliment Yemen’s National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA). Whereas the NAPA focuses on physical adaptation measures, the NCCSAP will concentrate more on social-based adaptation to climate change. Both programs are located within the Climate Change Unit of the Environmental Protection Authority, which operates under the newly created Ministry for Water and Environment. The main focus is water management.
This project will directly target the top two of the four articulated priorities in Yemen’s National Adaptation Plan of Action, namely: (1) improving community resilience to climate change through the development of sustainable rural livelihoods; and (2) improving agricultural production under erratic rains and changing climatic conditions.
The focus of this project is on combining a participatory approach and water modeling. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of the sectors, institutions, and Vietnamese people to adapt and respond to the climate change impacts. It aims to reduce their vulnerability to climate change and disasters by raising their understanding and preparedness to foresee impacts and minimize losses.
The Radio and Internet Project (RANET) implemented in Nakasongola district by World Vision and the Department of Meteorology enhanced collection and dissemination of early warning and climate information at the local level through radio and internet. Using a computer connected to the internet, the project provided timely information on climate and other development information for the people in the district. Through established channels of communication, the project then disseminated climate information to local farming communities in a timely manner.
GTZ was the main implementor of this project, which consisted of analysis and development of a report and plan. The Tunisian agencies in charge of the project are the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources and the General Directorate of Agricultural Studies and Development. Over the course of three conferences and 12 working meetings, the three agencies, along with the help of numerous Ministries and NGOs, produced a report on the impacts of climate change on the landscape and human activities, especially agriculture.
The Red Cross of Trinidad and Tobago recently started the RC/RC Climate Centre’s Preparedness for climate change program. The first step was taken in September 2006, when a workshop was held to assess the nationwide threats posed by climate change and identify Red Cross priorities in response. The Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross, will develop both a climate change information and activity booklet to be used in schools. To reach children further, the national society will set up school projects, a website and a kids club.
The impact of climate change and El Niño is increasingly causing coral reefs to bleach. WWF’s Friends of the Reef project is an effort to protect Asia Pacific’s coral reef ecosystems, which are the source of new coral recruits for reefs throughout the region and a source of livelihood for coastal people, especially in the fishery and tourism sectors. Friends of the Reef engages local stakeholders and decision makers in developing, testing, and implementing plans to increase coral reef resilience to major threats in the region, including climate change.
Mangrove forests are located in 23 coastal provinces in Thailand. These forests used to cover 368,000 ha in Thailand in 1961, but the area dropped to 240,000 ha by 2002. The major causes of the loss of mangrove forests are timber and charcoal industries, while some areas were converted for urbanization, agriculture, and aquaculture especially shrimp farms. In 2004, a five-year Action Plan for Mangrove Management in the Gulf of Thailand was established to preserve mangrove forests, as well as to promote the sustainable use of mangrove resources.
The Water Sector Support Project aims to strengthen sector institutions for integrated water resources management and improve access to water supply and sanitation services.
This project will use participatory methods in planning and implementation to set up water user groups in charge of assuring operation and maintenance of a sustainable irrigation scheme. The project will train the community in proper water management and operation and maintenance of the irrigation furrow, in agricultural extension and agribusiness skills, and in soil and water conservation. The goal is to assure sufficient water to supply agricultural production and domestic use, thus improving living standards.