CABEI and UN Environment Agency join forces to fight climate change
Both entities agree to collaborate in favor of climate action in Central America and the Dominican Republic.
CABEI grants non-refundable technical cooperation for US $985,587.00.
Belize, August 2, 2018.- The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) today agreed to join forces in the fight against the effects of climate change and to work on an adaptation project to increase the resilience of vulnerable populations in the Dry Corridor of Central America and the arid zones of the Dominican Republic.
The agreement was sponsored by the Ministers of Environment of the region, within the framework of the LXI ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of Environment of Central America, which is taking place to this day in Belize.
UN Environment Program and CABEI signed a Memorandum of Understanding that provides a framework for cooperation and facilitates collaboration between institutions in the fight against climate change, as well as in other areas of environmental interest.
Within the framework of this partnership, and under the guidance and leadership of the Council of Ministers of Environment of Central America, CABEI granted the UN Environment Protection Agency a non-reimbursable technical cooperation of US $985,587.00 to develop an ecosystem-based climate change adaptation proposal for the Dry Corridor of Central America and the arid zones of the Dominican Republic, with a focus on efficient water use. The project will be submitted to the Green Climate Fund, the funding mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Ecosystem-based adaptation is all about harnessing biodiversity and ecosystem services to reduce the vulnerability of communities and increase their capacity to adjust to extreme weather events. This approach includes interventions such as landscape restoration and reforestation to improve water availability and quality, ensure habitat provision for pollinators, reduce erosion, and more.
The agreements were signed by CABEI Executive Vice-President, Alejandro Rodríguez Zamora, and UN Regional Director for the Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean, Leo Heileman.
"This initiative is an example of the commitment that we all have in the search for environmental solutions to the effects of climate change in the Central American region, to increase resilience in the Central American Dry Corridor and the arid zones of the Dominican Republic, a process that will be coordinated with the ministries of the environment of the countries of the Central American Integration System and the Secretariat of the Central American Commission on Environment and Development, in order to guarantee their contributions to the program's design and the technical and financial appropriation of it," said CABEI Executive Vice President, Alejandro Rodríguez.
"For the people of the drylands of our region, climate change is not something that is featured in the newspapers. Many of them are already suffering the worst aspect of this phenomenon: the lack of water and food. That is why adaptation measures that contribute to the well-being of communities and the environment are crucial if we are to eradicate poverty and hunger and achieve sustainable development," Heileman stated.
Omar Figueroa, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, and Pro-Tempore President of the Central American Commission on Environment and Development, noted that "Central America and the Dominican Republic are in the most vulnerable tropical region in the world to the effects of climate change and are experiencing a historic challenge due to climate variability, poor rainfall distribution, and drought. This project is crucially important for adapting to climate change, increasing sustainable development in the region and reducing emigration."