The United Nations Capital Development Fund joins REAP

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has joined the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) to save lives, protect livelihoods and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of climate-disaster responses, as well as support adaptation to climate change in vulnerable developing nations. Partnerships like this are becoming more and more important, as climate-change related disasters bring home the reality of the global climate emergency and the effects on the millions of people impacted by extreme weather events. 

UNCDF will contribute to the work of REAP by identifying opportunities to integrate risk planning and climate change preparedness through the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL). The LoCAL Facility is a mechanism designed by UNCDF to support local governments to integrate climate change adaptation into planning and budgeting systems, increase awareness of and response to climate change, and increase the amount of finance available local for climate change adaptation. Through closer alignment of the work being undertaken through the LoCAL Facility and by REAP partners, UNCDF will actively engage in helping to make 1 billion people safer from disasters by 2025. 

“UNCDF is committed to working with our partners in developing and least developed countries to build resilience and strengthen adaptation to climate change,” said David Jackson, Director, Local Transformative Finance, UNCDF. “We are proud to join the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership for increased action on planning and preparedness, bringing experience and expertise from the LoCAL Facility.” 

Through mobilising action towards its 4 Targets, the Partnership seeks to drive a systemic shift to scaled-up anticipatory action that is focused on the needs of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. It aims to better leverage financing for early action, and improve warning systems to build the capacity of developing and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to respond to growing risks. Even if the global ambition to cap greenhouse gas emissions within Paris Agreement targets is met, the impacts of climate change are already being felt. This makes adaptation, risk planning and preparation an essential part of the response to the global climate emergency. 

"2021 highlighted the need for greater focus on adaptation efforts, and risk-informed early action is an effective way of adapting and increasing resilience to climate change at the local level,” said Ben Webster, Head of the REAP Secretariat. “We thank UNCDF and the LoCAL Facility for their efforts to date and encourage others to join us in making 1 billion people safer from disasters in the years to come.” 

Climate change-related adaptation costs in developing countries are estimated at USD 70bn a year – and rising – according to the UNFCCC. Early warning and early action could help reduce that figure and support investment in resilient, climate-ready development. 

Some 29 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean are designing or rolling out their LoCAL country systems, providing an extensive network for cooperation. Many LoCAL countries have produced or are preparing climate risk assessments to inform climate adaptation planning at the national, regional and notably at the local level where the impacts of climate change are often most acutely experienced. Working together, UNCDF and REAP will ensure that early action is people-centred, serving the needs of those most affected.