Climate Adaptation

Strengthening the Resilience of Vulnerable Populations to the Impacts of Climate Change

Climate Change

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Climate change has made rainfall inconsistent in Kenya and Tanzania’s shared Mara River Basin. Success in adapting to this variability comes from the transboundary cooperation and ownership by community members, government officials, and private sector representatives.
Bobby Neptune / USAID
USAID strengthens the resilience of vulnerable populations to the impacts of climate change by partnering with countries to apply best practices, science, knowledge and tools.

Climate change is devastating communities around the world. From droughts and floods, more intense storms, increasing temperatures and rising sea levels, climate impacts are pervasive across sectors and geographies—disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations and exacerbating injustices. Not only does climate change pose new risks, it aggravates existing social, economic, and environmental pressures like urbanization, land use change, and environmental degradation.

USAID supports climate adaptation across the countries and regions where USAID works.

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Our Approach

USAID helps communities prepare for climate change and manage its impacts, all while protecting critical development gains. Addressing climate risk in these communities requires adding a climate-lens to development efforts, by improving the availability, quality and use of weather and climate information available to decisionmakers. It also requires integrating climate adaptation measures into governance, planning, and budgeting processes to ensure equitable, climate-resilient outcomes.

Adaptation programming that is specific to local needs protects lives, promotes productive livelihoods, and supports resilient ecosystems. USAID puts this into practice by working with partners on the ground to develop, implement, and disseminate research, tools, and best practices to decisionmakers and other local actors in sectors that are prone to damaging effects from the climate crisis—like agriculture, health, water, and natural resource management. To support these sectors and communities, USAID mobilizes finance for adaptation through blended finance and green bonds to support resilient urban infrastructure, and provides assistance to partner countries to independently monitor and manage climate-related risks.

An integral part of USAID’s operations is the systematic incorporation of the climate risk management process—the process of assessing, addressing, and adaptively managing climate risks—in the design of all programs and strategies to improve their impact and sustainability.

Climate Adaptation Fact Sheets

Our Programs

The President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience

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Co-led by the U.S. Department of State and USAID, and bringing together 20 departments and agencies, the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) is the cornerstone of the U.S. government’s approach to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change by 2030.

Climate Adaptation Knowledge Sharing Portals

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Our Approach to Advancing Climate Action

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Increasing global climate action is essential to protect our development gains and progress sustainable development in our partner countries. USAID’s climate programs don’t just help limit warming and protect critical ecosystems—they create sustainable jobs, tackle historical inequality, and build stronger communities.

USAID Climate Strategy 2022–2030

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USAID’s 2022–2030 Climate Strategy guides our whole-of-Agency approach to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, help partner countries build resilience to climate change, and improve our operations.

Climate Change

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USAID plays a vital role in mitigating climate change and addressing its impacts by working with partner countries to implement ambitious emissions reduction measures, protect critical ecosystems, transition to renewable energy, build resilience against the impacts of climate change, and promote the flow of capital toward climate-positive investments.

Environment, Energy, and Infrastructure

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The conservation and stewardship of natural resources; reliable and affordable access to secure, modern energy services; and modern, resilient infrastructure are critical to promote sustainable growth, enhance security, and accelerate progress toward resilience and prosperity.