Today, the White House released its Action Plan to guide the implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE). Announced last year at COP26 and co-led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department, PREPARE is a coordinated, whole-of-government approach that brings together the diplomatic, development, and technical expertise of the United States to support more than half a billion people in developing countries to adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change by 2030. Under PREPARE, USAID with 18 other U.S. Government departments and agencies announces more than 60 actions to accelerate international adaptation efforts. USAID’s work under the Agency’s Climate Strategy (2022-2030) also supports PREPARE. USAID’s key actions within the PREPARE Action Plan follow, with additional actions to be shared at COP27.
The President has committed to working with Congress to provide $3 billion in adaptation finance annually for PREPARE by FY2024, which would be a six-fold increase from the highest historical funded level. This Action Plan details how the U.S. Government would implement PREPARE between 2022 and 2024. While some priority lines of work can be done within existing budgets, others require additional resources, making full implementation of this Action Plan subject to the availability of appropriations.
Key Actions
Knowledge
PREPARE is increasing the production and use of climate information, including by responding to the UN Secretary General’s call to ensure “Early Warning for All” by 2027. This effort will also equip the decision makers of today and tomorrow with the skills, knowledge, networks, and outlook needed to adapt to climate impacts.
USAID currently supports climate and weather observations and disaster early warning systems globally. Through PREPARE, USAID and other departments and agencies will:
- Expand SERVIR (a joint initiative of NASA, USAID, and leading global geospatial organizations) to leverage the forthcoming launch of the surface water and ocean topography (SWOT) satellite and other climate information services, to expand drought monitoring and flood forecasting for water utilities to enhance preparedness and response.
- Advance capacity of countries on end-to-end early warning systems for early action at local level to reduce risk of climate and weather related disasters (jointly implemented by USAID, NOAA, World Meteorological Organization and National Meteorological and Hydrological Services).
- Build or expand national and sub-national capability for vulnerable countries to prevent, detect, monitor, and respond to the emergence of zoonotic, water-borne, and vector-borne diseases from natural habitats related to climate-driven changes.
- Build upon successful pilots for malaria early warning systems to expand geographic coverage, expand famine early warning systems network (FEWSNET) tools and services for the health sector, and scale up the WASH Severity Classification, a WASH response preparedness and early warning mechanism.
Plans and Programs
In all major sectors affected by climate impacts, PREPARE will support countries and communities to adapt. PREPARE will support governments as they design, implement, and operate hundreds of climate-resilient resilient plans and programs, in infrastructure systems, water management, and health systems. It will build climate resilience into food systems to better withstand current and future shocks and longer-term stresses, including the 2022 global food price crisis and COVID-19.
USAID and other departments and agencies will:
- Support countries in Africa, Latin America and Central Asia to implement Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans through the Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative.
- Promote the climate resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
- Work with other program partners to identify best practices, lessons learned, and steps that can be taken to support holistic, multi-hazard, cross-sectoral infrastructure planning and development.
- Identify and advance nature-based solutions that reduce the impacts of sea level rise, especially salinization of coastal aquifers.
- Support analysis and stakeholder engagement necessary to identify priority watersheds and landscapes for investments, including access to robust carbon markets if relevant.
- Support the development and implementation of health actions within National Adaptation Plans.
- Ensure efforts are supporting increased access for smallholder farmers, especially for women, the elderly and other most vulnerable groups, to irrigation and that efforts link with the upcoming Global Water Strategy.
Resources
PREPARE will increase the amount and availability of finance that accelerates climate adaptation and supports gender-responsive, locally-led adaptation. In this process, the U.S. Government will assist partner governments to assess, plan and budget for adaptation costs, and speed and scale up financing of climate adaptation and resilience in all sectors. PREPARE is providing a platform through which the U.S. Government can facilitate increased investment from the philanthropic and private sectors to advance adaptation and resilience in climate vulnerable partner countries. In addition, PREPARE will increase and enhance the use and effectiveness of disaster risk financing tools to support climate resilience.
In addition to existing adaptation finance commitments made under PREPARE, USAID and the interagency will, among other actions:
- Mobilize $1 billion of public and private finance for climate-resilient water and sanitation services by 2030. As part of this work, USAID will provide technical assistance to utility companies in partner countries for them to attract commercial financing and international public climate finance, enhance domestic budget allocations, and adjust user fees to upgrade and expand climate resilient water and sanitation infrastructure and services. This will enable utilities to confront increased floods, droughts, and sea level rise as a foundation for climate resilience.
- Provide technical assistance to utility companies in partner countries for them to attract commercial financing and international public climate finance, enhance domestic budget allocations, and adjust user fees to upgrade and expand climate resilient water and sanitation infrastructure and services. This will enable utilities to confront increased floods, droughts, and sea level rise as a foundation for climate resilience.
- Work with select countries to improve access to the Green Climate Fund and the Cities Finance Facility.
The Action Plan is bolstered by a whole-of-government work plan with activities that the 18 departments and agencies involved will take together and on their own.
For the full PREPARE Action Plan, please click here.