Four Scottish non-governmental organisations will receive £250k each to help ‘Global South’ countries react and adapt to long term impacts of the rapid global warming and the changing climate.
Announced at COP28, the Scottish Government will provide the money to the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), Oxfam, Christian Aid and Tearfund for projects in Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Pakistan.
SCIAF's project in Zambia will be implemented in centran and western provinces and will put an emphasis on infrastructure in communities which have suffered with both flooding and drought linked to climate change.
The project will target households most affected by climatic shocks, those who lost their crops and livestock, are experiencing poor food security, and are employing coping mechanisms during this lean season, compounded by damaged infrastructure.
Christian Aid will work in southern Ethiopia, which has been impacted by severe droughts which are then followed by floods, destroying homes, livelihoods and livestock.
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The funding from the Scottish Government will be used to carry out repairs to damaged infrastructure, re-training and job creation, psychosocial support and a veterinary programme.
Oxfam will use the funding to work in partnership with the ASAL Humanitarian Network and other local partners in Kenya to support communities impacted by prolonged, climate-induced drought and flash floods, as well as to reduce the risk of conflict.
Kenya’s arid and semi-arid region has been badly hit by the impacts of climate change, with millions of people suffering from malnutrition as a result of losing their livestock, which they rely on both for food and to make money.
The Scottish Government’s funds will be used to repair and restore critical water systems damaged due to overuse during drought periods and used by up to 3,800 households. It will also provide up to 300 households with cash to help families get back on their feet by addressing damaged or lost livelihoods, including women who are at risk of, or have survived, gender-based violence. In addition, the funding will support community-based peace committees to mediate conflicts over scarce resources.
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Tearfund’s project will support female livestock and poultry farmers in the Punjab as well as farmers recovering from the ongoing impact of the huge floods. Water supplies will also be rebuilt.
Net Zero Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “I am pleased to announce that four projects, in Pakistan, Zambia, Kenya and Ethiopia, have been selected to address loss and damage through Scotland’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund as part of a £1 million programme of work announced at New York Climate Week earlier this year.
“It is the first time, that we know of, that loss and damage funding has been dispersed through a humanitarian framework in this way.
“These projects will address the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and marginalised groups, and local communities will be involved in each step of project design and delivery.
“We hope that this will provide valuable learning and will support a growing evidence- base to inform the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and COP discussions.”
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