RESULTS AND IMPACT IN 2021
OUTCOME 1
Climate- and disaster-resilience and adaptability of cities, human settlements and infrastructure strengthened
Contribution to the SDGs
Photo: Vincent Tremeau, World Bank
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events around the world and devastating vulnerable populations, especially women and girls. But with today’s advanced warning systems, these events can be predicted. Early information and action can often prevent hazards from turning into human disasters, averting loss of life, and reducing negative economic and material impacts.
While infrastructure, assets, and services are very often impacted by climate variability and climate change, they can also be mobilised to play an essential role in building resilience to those impacts.
In 2021, NDF continued financing projects that contributed to promoting the climate- and disaster-resilience and adaptability of cities and human settlements. Specific focus is on decreasing the vulnerability of urban dwellers to climate change and in building capacities and skills, especially for women and girls.
Highlights below include a storm drain project in Dakar, Senegal where rapid urbanisation has made stormwater flooding one of the country’s most damaging recurring hazards; a highway upgrade and management program in Laos, a landlocked country, heavily dependent on road transport where roads are increasingly being degraded by the negative impacts of extreme weather; and a sustainable brick project with a climate-friendly business model in Nepal.
Improving access to reliable climate and weather services in Africa
The ClimDev-Africa Special Fund invests in building capacity to generate, share and use high quality, reliable climate and weather information
The lack of access to reliable weather and climate services remains a major obstacle for African countries facing a changing climate. The ClimDev-Africa Special Fund, was established by the African Development Bank to invest in technologies and services aimed at collecting weather and climate data to strengthen policy and development planning at all levels. This includes climate adaptation strategies and plans, weather and climate services, and early warning systems, as well as capacity building and awareness raising.
Major highlights include support to 12 national Meteorological and Hydrological Services to improve their services. In addition, five Regional Climate Centres were supported to provide severe weather early warnings that help protect the livelihoods of almost 120 million people living in drought and flood prone areas.
The current phase of the project was completed in 2021.
Photo: African Development Bank
NDF CO-FINANCING
EUR 5 million
PARTNERS
African Development Bank, SIDA, European Union (EU)
MAIN RESULTS
- 12 countries with improved capacity of national Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) to deliver weather and climate services. - Five Regional Climate Centers strengthened - Total 10,091 (about 30% women) individuals with increased capacities, improved skills and/or raised awareness.
Weather stations and housing made climate-resilient
Adaptation actions in Bolivia promoting weather forecasting and climate modelling while reducing vulnerability to climate change impacts.
This project in the Bolivian high country has developed Climate Change Adaptation Plans for five micro basins including the installation of two new weather stations in Jacha Jahuira and Khullu Cachi: one meteorological and the other agrometeorological.
These stations benefitted a rural population of 10,000 people (50% women) engaged in agricultural activities, in an area of more than 20,850 hectares, of which 4,650 hectares correspond to annual crops and almost 16,250 hectares to natural pastures.
The aim is to help farmers predict extreme weather events and reduce their vulnerability; support local authorities in their decision-making to reduce climate risk; as well as improve the efficiency of agricultural production in the region by helping farmers select optimum periods for planting and harvesting to avoid unnecessary economic losses.
Due to a lack of adequate housing and extreme weather conditions in the project area, improving the habitability in the communities is also an ongoing goal, with a total of 220 social housing projects already completed.
Under the project, future housing will now include the design, construction and/or rehabilitation of bioclimatic housing using sustainable materials in ways that promote the more efficient use water and energy.
Read more results related to enhancing the natural capital and water, energy and food security nexus under Outcome 2.
Photo credit: NDF
NDF CO-FINANCING
EUR 4 million
PARTNERS
Inter-American Development Bank, Climate Investment Funds (CIF), Government of Bolivia)
MAIN RESULTS
- A rural population of 10,000 people (50% women) benefitted from uptake of solutions - Total 20,886 hectares of land impacted
Living in peace with water
Tackling storm water drainage and flood prevention in peri-urban Dakar
Many cities in Senegal are extremely vulnerable to climate disaster, with stormwater flooding one of the country’s most damaging recurring hazards. Rapid urbanisation in response to prolonged drought has brought a proliferation of informal settlements to the periphery of Dakar in low-lying flood-prone areas. The resulting rapid change in land use leading to a densely populated area and plenty of unplanned habitation, has degraded the surrounding soil making water drainage into a major issue.
The objective of this project was to improve storm water drainage and flood prevention in peri-urban Dakar for the benefit of local residents. NDF’s contribution addressed flood risk mainstreaming in key sectors, drainage investments and management, community engagement in urban flood-risk reduction and adaptation to climate change. NDF support was also designed to integrate flood risk reduction and adaptation measures into communal action plans.
Living without flooding is bringing positive economic, transport, educational, health and security benefits. And for the project’s 167,000 beneficiaries, who were living with flood water as a permanent presence, the installation of drainage infrastructure over 900 hectares in peri-urban Dakar, has put them at peace with water.
The current phase of this project was completed in 2021, but work will continue under a new project.
Photo: Vincent Tremeau, World Bank
NDF CO-FINANCING
EUR 7 million
PARTNERS
World Bank, Government of Senegal
MAIN RESULTS
- Total 84,366 people with increased capacities/awareness (50% women) - Total 167,000 people (50% women) benefitted from uptake of solutions - Total 900 hectares protected against recurrent flooding through stormwater drainage works
Strengthening supply chains for climatic resilient construction
Eco-friendly bricks in Nepal are creating opportunities while cutting carbon emissions
The global brick industry is responsible for 2.7% of carbon emissions worldwide, and the demand for bricks in construction is growing rapidly. In Nepal, the project, co-financed by NDF, set out to test and demonstrate a scaled, affordable and climate-friendly business model for Compressed Stabilized Earth Bricks (CSEB) technology, with a view to strengthening the local supply chain for sustainable construction. Compared with conventional construction materials like fired bricks or cement blocks, building with CSEB technology was found to be quicker and using less materials, making it an estimated 25 to 30 percent cheaper than the total cost of traditional bricks.
The bricks are locally adaptable, environmentally sustainable, earthquake resilient, and easy to use, with strong climatic resilience and mitigation impacts. During the project period, more than 1400 houses were built using the bricks, benefitting nearly 8500 Nepalese people while creating hundreds of new green jobs.
Under the project, jobs are created through a consortium providing technical knowledge and masonry training on how to make the bricks and use them to construct houses. The project also offers entrepreneurial support by connecting businesses with municipalities and markets.
Photo: Johanna Zilliacus, NDF
NDF CO-FINANCING
EUR 450,000
PARTNERS
DanChurchAid, Build Up Nepal, Practical Action
MAIN RESULTS
- Total 1,443 houses built - Total 2,165 jobs supported (372 women and 1,793 men) - Total 8,441 people (3,671 women and 4,770 men) benefitted from uptake of solutions
Roadworks for resilience
Driving safety and connectivity in Laos climate-resilient road networks
As a landlocked country, the economy of Laos is heavily dependent on road transport for its own import-export trade, as well as its position as a logistical hub for China, Thailand and Vietnam. However, the country’s road systems are increasingly being degraded by the negative impacts of extreme weather related to climate change, including flash and back flooding, extended dry and hot periods, and land and mud slides. When roads are blocked or damaged, access to markets as well as crucial health care and education services becomes limited, which in turns impacts negatively on economic growth and social development.
The overall goal of this NDF co-financed project in partnership with the World Bank and the Laos Government has been to advance climate-resilient road connectivity in selected provinces as well as strengthen climate-resilient and efficient road asset management practices at national and provincial levels. So far, more than 650 kilometres of road have been upgraded with climate resilience measures and general maintenance; more than 1,200 kilometres have had routine maintenance and more than 600 kilometres have been audited for safety.
Another similar project in Laos has been co-financing climate resilience work on the country’s most heavily trafficked National Road 13. Measures here include widening the capacity of the road in areas most subject to flooding benefitting 500,000 people (235,000 women, 265,000 men). This serves to decrease congestion, which reduces CO2 emissions while enhancing air quality and safety.
Photo: Ministry of Public Works and Transport of Lao PDR
NDF CO-FINANCING
EUR 11 million
PARTNERS
World Bank, Government of Laos, European Investment Bank (EIB), European Union (EU)
MAIN RESULTS
- Total 652.15 km of road upgraded with climate resilience measures and receiving maintenance - Total 1,221.60 km receiving routine maintenance - Total 1,819,719 people (50% women) benefitted from uptake of solutions