To reduce insecurity and economic losses caused by severe weather events, USAID is working to increase the resilience of communities to the impacts of climate shocks. To achieve climate resilience, USAID partners with local, national, and regional organizations on information management, land use planning, and implementation of small-scale climate adaptation projects. It is critical that municipalities focus on these areas to manage and protect human life, property, and infrastructure. Furthermore, as the threats related to climate variability grow, these efforts are increasingly important. They are vital to helping ecosystems function as they should naturally, with carbon sequestration from forests, water filtration by wetlands, plant pollination by bees, and more.
To accomplish these objectives, USAID is improving the ability of local populations to acquire, understand, and manage severe climate event information to improve municipal land use planning. Target areas for these programs are Santo Domingo, Santiago, Las Terrenas, and San Pedro de Macoris. These four cities will receive support in design and implementation of municipal plans to ensure they are climate resilient, participatory, and transparent.Other municipalities will be encouraged to become involved and replicate best practices.
Additionally, USAID helps small farmers strengthen their livelihoods and climate resilience through the implementation of climate-smart approaches to agriculture (which builds in climate change resilience and/or removes greenhouse emissions when possible), enhanced cocoa production and processing, and the development of a climate index insurance product.
Norma Paredes, USAID.